Ashita Made
by Kagetsuya
Summary: (complete) (formerly the untitled Earthian fic) One secret leads to another. Past, present, and future -- all gets resolved... maybe.
1. Prologue: Secrets

****

Ashita Made (Until Tomorrow)  
Author: Kagetsuya  
**Contact:** GrenMarsEckener[at]aol[dot]com  
**Sites:** Four Stars, Yume no Kage  
**Pairings:** M+R+M, KxC  
**Rating:** PG13  
**Warnings:** shounen-ai, implied yaoi, slight het, angst, AU-ish, some OOC, slight Japanese  
**Archive:** Ask first. E-mail addy is above.  
**Writing Conventions:** + + + + + = scene change; _emphasis_, 'thoughts', "speech"  
**Disclaimer:** Only the plot, OCs, and a couple characterizations belong to K. Everything else belongs to Kouga Yun, Shinshokan South, etc. K gains nothing but the happiness writing brings her, so please don't sue. She's broke, anyway.  
**Summary:** One secret leads to another. Past, present, and future -- all gets resolved... maybe.  
**Notes:** (AKA things you don't _really_ need to know, but K thought she should tell anyone who wants to)  
1) This is the final version of the fic. K promises she will keep her hands off it from now on. No matter how much she wants to edit it again.  
2) This fanfic was started in May of 2001 and was unofficially finished in late 2002. This final posting has only come about because she wants to get the damn thing off her back. And because she went into Fickle Mode and, ever insecure about her writing, decided to run it across more betas than you can shake a stick at.  
3) The 'infamous' _usotsuki_ lines are most likely inaccurately translated. K begs forgiveness, she's not fluent and she did the best she could.  
4) about the AU tag above, under 'Warnings': until early 2002, nothing was known -- not here, stateside, anyway -- about what happened in Eden at the 'end' of the series but the whole Metatron thing and Kagetsuya and Chihaya's banishment to Earth. This fic was written as a speculation piece focusing on the archangels Michael and Raphael, way before it was found that a sentence of banishment was also given to Michael-sama. As such, it's now labeled as it is. Ergh... Plus there are details concerning a certain couple that are a little iffy, even if the explanation could still fit. What couple? Nothing. Nothing! Ah hah hah. K still feels kinda bad when she thinks about it so... yeah. It's easy to figure out, anyway, so she'll leave that to you.  
5) about the OOC tag: the manga is not completely translated and, unfortunately, much of the scenes she really, really needed, she had to translate herself. As stated in note 3, she is not fluent (yet) in Japanese and translated to the best of her abilities. So while not entirely wrong, she is pretty sure that she didn't hit the bullseye for the most part. However, because she learned plenty in the time she wrote this, by the time rewrite time came around, she looked at the manga again and went through it with a fine-toothed comb. Thus the realization that she got many, _many_ things wrong. 'OOC' is included in the warnings because incorporating all the epiphanies she had while rewriting this meant that she had to scrap the _entire_ fic and start over again from the beginning. Call her a big, _effin'_, extremely _lazy_ idiot, but she didn't want to do that, the main reason that this is her pilot fic -- pilot _chapter_ fic, can't forget those other one-shots, and yes, this means there's more coming because besides being an idiot, K doesn't know when to quit -- and scrapping it, for whatever reason, was the one thing she didn't ever, ever want to do. As it is, she _has_ changed this as much as she could without butchering the original intentions. She is aware of the many, many inconsistencies with canon contained herein. K knows that no amount of apologizing and begging for forgiveness can help her with in this aspect. All she can say is that she knows better and she promises future fics will be more accurate.  
6) Colorings have changed slightly for... er, two charas, I think. Because it seemed like a good idea. I realize that yes, the same rules might not necessarily apply to angels, but they mingle with the Earthians. Someone is bound to notice them sooner or later.  
7) Long after this fic, K has been trying to break herself out of the habit of putting Japanese phrases in her fics. Thus, with the exception of the _usotsuki_ lines (because K isn't _that_ sure about its translation and because she thinks it sounds better in Japanese) and honorary suffixes -- left in to indicate that in the language of Eden, there is some similar way with which one denotes the level of respect accorded to others -- it's all gone. She _really_ didn't want to take them out, because some terms add certain feelings to some words that cannot be expressed in English, but they got really annoying, interspersed randomly through the text as they were.  
**Special Thanks:** Kouga Yun-sensei, for bringing _Earthian_ into existence; MD-sempai, Hika-chan, and Tenku-chama for supporting me and pushing me to write, even when I wanted to call it quits; Seravi, for all the beta work and for throwing things at me and forcing me in front of the computer when I really, truly needed it; Keil and the rest of the Rewrite Band for all the help with editing, even if you weirded me out with your self-appointed name; and last but oh-so-definitely not least, everyone on FFN and the Earthians ML for reading, all the ego boosts/feedback, and for just plain putting up with me.  
**===========================================================**

Prologue: Secrets

"...And..." The tall, young angel with the flame-orange hair on the screen hesitated and looked away, then straightened again. "Raphael-sama, I... I request a change of partner."

The archangel arched an eloquent eyebrow. "Nuriel, you and Teleise are at the top of your class and have been getting along fine since you were partnered. In fact, we've not had so compatible a pair in quite a while. Is something wrong? Has something happened?"

"Ah-- No, nothing's happened, sir, but... Teleise..."

Nuriel, born into Eden's aristocracy, usually didn't act so hesitant. When he first came, it probably would not have been so. He had been a haughty one, this angel, condescending to those lower than him. He did not seek them out, no, and never aimed to cause bodily harm, even once or twice halting his peers -- well, former peers now, most of them -- from dealing it out themselves. But he took every single chance he got to slight them, and it was those not noble born, who were admitted to the academy by merit of their high test scores, that he had taken a 'liking' to. It was a blessing that he had been capable of maturing. Some of that could probably have been credited to his assigned partner not only being one of that minority, but also one who had scored just as high as he had on the exams and had more often than not bested him during the physical tests. The presence of Raphael, his elder and superior, seemed to have a subduing effect on him.

"She is getting a little too attached to the Earthians," Nuriel stated after his pause. "Sir. I'm afraid it is clouding her judgment."

Raphael was silent for a few moments, dark eyes thoughtful. Those words were never to be said lightly among the investigative pairs sent to Earth. To make such an accusation against another angel was a serious matter to be considered, to do so against one's own partner even more so. On the screen, the fiery-haired teenager fidgeted despite the obvious restraint he was exerting on himself to keep from doing so, trying to keep his gaze from lowering as his superior contemplated on what he said.

"I'll consider what you say, Nuriel," he said at last. "However, I should like to talk with her first. And the matter has to be brought to the attention of Michael-sama and the other archangels. When Teleise returns from her errands, please have her contact me immediately."

"Yes, sir." The angel bowed, then cut off the link.

Well, there was another reason to stay put. The thought, laced with amusement, surfaced as he skimmed through his incoming messages for anything of importance.

"Raphael?"

The archangel stiffened and didn't turn around as Michael entered the room, then forced himself to relax, giving an inward frown as he searched for a reason for freezing in the first place. Turning off the screen, he watched the blonde's reflection as he glided with characteristic grace to the couch in the far corner and seated himself, oblivious to the dark gaze that followed him. If perhaps his movements were slower, a little more deliberate than usual, Raphael attributed it to the likelihood that Michael had taken a walk before coming here.

"I suspected you'd be in here," Michael continued, having noticed nothing of his second-in-command's reaction to his entrance. "I thought today's your day off." A light chuckle. "Miss your work already?"

Raphael shrugged noncommittally and picked up the book he had been reading before Nuriel contacted him to make his report, but found that the words blurred together and he could not concentrate. It seemed as if the book was written in a language he should have been familiar with, taunting him with an understanding that slipped like eels just out of his reach. For that matter, his gaze kept going back to the reflection on the blank screen. Michael had lain back and closed his eyes, looking quite subdued now that his eyelids hid the lively blue of his eyes, the slightest hint of his ever-present smile on his lips. The fingers of his right hand were entwined in his curls, twisting at the saffron strands absently.

Not for the first time, some unidentified feeling surfaced in his heart. His dusk-colored eyes softened and the corners of his mouth lifted in the tiniest semblance of a smile. Unnerved, he quickly masked the emotion and made another attempt to focus on his book.

"So, have you heard anything on the Earthians?" the query came all of a sudden. "Ash, Sirra, and their partners' reports have been forwarded to me; seems the winds are favorable for Earth these days." Then, "I believe Nuriel and Teleise are supposed to call in with their reports today, also."

_This_ time, Raphael turned around. There was something in Michael's voice, some tone that evaded identification; he couldn't quite pin it down long enough to analyze. The other archangel opened an eye at his movement, catching him in those very blue depths. Unable to stop himself, he froze under that scrutiny.

"Nuriel has already given his report and Teleise was on an errand," he said quietly, willing his body to move again. "She'll contact us as soon as soon as she gets back."

A small, white light began to blink at the corner of the screen, accompanied by a soft series of beeps, signaling an incoming message. As he turned around again, he heard the other archangel shift in his place. Was that a hint of uneasiness in the action, or was it just his imagination?

"This must be her now," he murmured.

"Michael-sama!"

Raphael noted Michael's small gasp, but didn't look at him, deciding to deal with it and its implications after he took care of the call. The bright voice that preceded the image was unmistakable; the amethyst-eyed angel who appeared on the screen only confirmed what Raphael already knew.¹

"Chihaya."

"Ah-- Ra... Raphael-sama." The dark angel's eyes widened in surprise and -- was that a hint of fear? Tone uncertain, subdued, he added, "I -- umm... I thought you had the day off today..."

"I do. But I thought of checking on a few things for a bit."

"Oh..."

Chihaya looked uncertain. He was fidgeting, Raphael knew without having to see, probably plucking at the hem of his shirt.

"I'll let Michael-sama know you called, Chihaya-kun," he said, with a smile that he hoped was sufficiently disarming.

"O-okay. Umm -- thanks, Raphael-sama," the black-haired youth said haltingly, then muttered a soft, "Excuse me." before breaking off the communications link.²

Raphael turned back to his companion and found Michael sitting up, looking very much like the child caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. The archangel's face was pale, his gaze on his hands, which were folded in his lap. He seemed restrained, looking as if he were to start squirming under his second-in-command's scrutinizing gaze if not for the control he was barely able to exercise over his body. Several curls had fallen over his eyes, effectively masking any emotion that coursed through them.

"How long?" Raphael asked, his voice soft.

Equally soft: "I've always maintained contact with the two of them." Then, softer, "Will you tell anyone of it?"

There was something in the archangel's tone that raised his curiosity. It was the same tone as earlier, but its meaning was not as evasive as before. It was almost as if... as if he knew something he clearly wasn't supposed to. Raphael suppressed any reaction to that.

"I may have to. You know it's against the rules to have contact with those who are banished from Eden."

Michael raised his head, soft blue eyes suddenly rebellious. "It's only a step above what you've been doing." His partner barely had time to blink before he murmured, "Teleise gave her report before she left on her errands. And she asked me to relay a message to you."

He didn't continue after that, but Raphael caught what he was implying. He'd assigned Nuriel and Teleise an additional task to go along with their being investigative angels on Earth, a task that wasn't in any official documentation. The two investigative angels had been sworn to secrecy, didn't even quite know the extent of what they'd been assigned to do. And Michael had just found out.

"So don't talk to me about breaking rules, Raphael-sama," the blonde continued, deliberate in his adding of the honorary suffix where he had not before. "I, too, know what's at stake. Maybe more than you think."

There were many things that he left unsaid. But then, he didn't have to say a thing. Raphael knew exactly what he didn't mention, could call up the exact wording if he so chose to.

_"Anata wa dousei no ki o hikou to shita koto ga arimasu ka?"_

_"Aru.Omae da."_

_"Usotsuki."_³

Those lines rang strong and clear in his mind. Afraid of acknowledging their significance, he ignored them.

'Rules are rules,' he reminded himself; with an inward frown, he realized he'd had to do that a lot recently.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Michael get up until the archangel was standing in front of him. The air between them crackled and Michael's crystal eyes, now hard diamonds that were like closed doors barring any emotion behind them, bore into his.

"I meant it, you know," Michael said softly, as if he'd been reading his companion's thoughts. "Every word I said back then, everything I've ever said. I meant it all."

Before he knew what was happening, Michael kissed him, deep and sensuous. Raphael reacted in the way opposite of that his mind commanded of his body, his eyes fluttering closed, and he reveled in the feeling of the blonde's soft lips against his.

'This isn't right,' the thought flitted through his mind, penetrating the haze that surrounded it.

Gently, he pushed the other archangel away and told him just that.

Michael's eyes clouded over and he gave a slight nod, more to himself than to Raphael. "Some rules have to be broken," he whispered, voice so soft that he was barely audible, "or the pain builds and tears you apart." Then, louder, in a lighter tone, "Don't work too hard today, if you must at all, Raphael. It _is_ your day off, after all."

He was out of the room in seconds, the door shutting with a soft click behind him, leaving Raphael to stare into the wake of his departure.

_"Usotsuki."_

'No, Michael... No... It's not you... It's me.'

------------------------------------------  
1: K debated with herself the most about Chihaya. She _really_ wanted to leave his colorings as they are in the character designs, his hair and eyes having a slight purple/violet tint to them. So I compromised. I've only seen a line about his hair and wings being black (from either Michael-sama or some random person at the academy). If there's any mention about his eyes, I have not seen it, so I left them as that pretty violet color. Though I've made it that they're so dark, you wouldn't be able to tell unless the light hit them right.  
2: Haha, this was originally, "Shitsurei shimasu.", or "Excuse me.", which in this context is something like "I'm going to be rude and hang up on you now." I left it as "Excuse me." because I like the politeness of it.  
3: "Have you ever had homosexual feelings [for anyone]?" "Yes. For you." "Liar."


	2. Chapter 1: Questions

**

Chapter 1: Questions

**

Michael shut the door to Raphael's office quietly behind him and walked away at a clipped pace. Why did he act that way? Why did he say those things? Why did he...

Thoughts of a similar fashion filled his mind as he swept through the halls. It was only later, when he found himself in his own office, that he recalled hearing the concerned queries that had followed in his wake and his giving the order that no one should bother him unless it was an emergency or of extreme importance and needed his immediate attention. He barely remembered locking the door, making a beeline straight for the bedroom in his attached apartments -- more thankful than any instance before that they existed -- and the quiet sanctuary amid the lush pillows of his bed. He couldn't remember when the tears had begun to blur his vision.

But he definitely recognized the sharp pangs in his heart to be familiar.

"God..."¹

Unconsciously, his fingers went to his lips. Unbidden came the memory of the sweetness of Raphael's lips against his, and the soft smile that accompanied that memory.

"Why... Why did I do that...?" he whispered to no one at all. "Why did I--"

No. No, he couldn't bring himself to say it. He _couldn't_. The flittering whisper in the back of his mind chanted over and over that if he said it, someone would hear. And no matter how absurd the thought seemed, he still dared not say anything aloud.

'Why, indeed. Of course you know why. When will you admit it?'

_"Anata wa dousei no ki o hikou to shita koto ga arimasu ka?"_

'Too close... It was too close...'

_"I meant it, you know. Every word I said back then, everything I've ever said. I meant it."_

He did. God only knew how much he did. Had Raphael thought everything Michael had said and done just the usual quirks of his first-in-command? Had he been aware that Michael had been serious, that none of it had been the game it seemed to be?

_"Usotsuki."_

The word surfaced, as bitter as the tears he held back with a desperation that would have surprised him had he noticed its intensity. Of course Raphael knew. He wasn't second-in-command in Valhalla for nothing. They'd known each other for too long for him to think that Michael was just playing around. He knew and did nothing but take it into stride.

'Of course he would. He's _married_. He has Gabrielle.'

Then, '...Why do I even think these things?'

The question was not unfamiliar. Who knew how long he'd been asking it, though he never got an answer. He knew the rules just as well as anyone -- better than most, in fact, being in his position -- and he knew the consequences if those rules were broken. For him to be having these thoughts... It was blasphemous.

Oh, but he did think them. And it was a vice on his heart that tightened every time he laid eyes on Raphael. It hurt, so very much, to be thinking this way, feeling this way, knowing it was wrong and not quite caring, and for nothing. Yes, he knew it now as he'd always known it, _nothing_. He was stupid enough to entertain the thought that there ever _would_ be something.

Yet his foolish hopes refused to die.

"Michael?" The inquiry was accompanied by knocking.

He sank down into the pillows at recognizing the voice, feeling unable to hold himself up. His golden curls spilled about his face as he shut his eyes, willing the visitor away.

"Michael?" His name came again, the voice tinged with concern. "Are you all right?"

'No, of course not,' he thought bitterly, as the pain in his heart grew at every word, every knock, until he thought that it would take over him completely and he would be gone. 'And there's nothing you can do about it short of--'

Oh, how close he was to finishing the thought.

Michael forced his voice steady, if only for a few precious moments, and, with every word another needle that lanced through him, called out, "I'm fine, Raphael. I'm busy. If you have something that calls for my attention immediately, I'll be right there."

There was a long silence. He could sense the other archangel still there at the door, feeling-- What? Concerned? Indecisive?

Part of him wanted Raphael to say that yes, this was an emergency, and to let him in right now. The rest of him wanted to be left alone. At the moment, with his mind going in a forbidden direction, there was no telling what he would do if the tall, dark-eyed angel came in.

'No. Don't think about that.'

"It's nothing, Michael-sama. Forgive me for disturbing you."

Raphael's footsteps -- why hadn't he heard them awhile ago? -- faded down the hallway and he was left once again in silence.

'What is _wrong_ with me...?!'

His eyes caught onto a framed photograph on the small bedside table. The picture was of Chihaya, Kagetsuya, Raphael, and himself, taken before the former pair's first investigative mission to Earth. He had Chihaya in his arms, the both of them grinning, while their counterparts stood on either side of them and looked directly at the camera in their calm, stoic, no-nonsense manner.

"You never mentioned hurting this much, Chihaya-kun," he said softly, as if the youth himself was there, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Then again, perhaps you didn't even experience it like this." A sigh. "I wish I had your courage...... But would that have been wise... for God to have given me such a thing?"

'............Maybe...... Maybe this is for the best...'

+ + + + +

Raphael found himself staring at the door for a long while after Michael left. That look in the blonde's eyes...... Raphael had never seen him like that before. His eyes were so sad, he looked almost... fragile.

_"Some rules have to be broken, or the pain builds and tears you apart."_

'...Michael...'

There was that familiar feeling that ran through him, unchecked. He didn't want to know what it was; and, he'd admit it himself, he was too frightened of what he might find. So he let it go, tried to ignore it, even when it made him dizzy with -- with... He veered his train of thought away from that track and tried to focus back on his book.

Which, unfortunately, didn't happen. His mind was stubborn, wanting to go back to Michael's actions before he'd left.

'Why did you do that? Why did you...... Dare I say it, why on Eden did you... kiss me...'

His friend's last few lines ran through his head. He heard them as if he were reliving those moments again. Michael had never before acted like he just did. Raphael wondered what had brought it all about. Surely, it wasn't the business with Nuriel and Teleise. Michael would never have looked so upset -- yes, the archangel had been upset, he saw that now -- if it was merely that.

It couldn't have been his finding out that Michael had been keeping in touch with Chihaya. No, the other angel had only been rebellious about that. Not that Raphael didn't understand why he would do such a thing. The two were very close, as if Michael was truly Chihaya's biological father and not just his adoptive one; despite what his superior claimed to be his reason for adopting the youth in the first place, they had gotten quite attached to each other. The fact that he had risked so much for the black-winged angel in breaking the law in times past -- and present, he added with wry amusement -- showed just how close they were.

_"Anata wa dousei no ki o hikou to shita koto ga arimasu ka?"_

He hadn't really been thinking when he voiced that query; the tangent their conversation -- or rather, something more of an argument -- had been going on led there and the question was out of his mouth before he could think about it and its implications. Not to mention, his partner's possible reactions to it. The blonde's answer had thoroughly surprised him, and then some. Long after that time, he had pondered that particular exchange. Yes, Michael had been dead serious that time. His eyes had held the same mix of sorrow and defiance they did today and, despite his tendency to brush off something like that when it came up, whether with an evasive answer or some jest, he had answered right away and with a conviction that could not be mistaken for anything else.

Raphael had not known how to respond to that answer then and he still didn't know what to think of it now. He touched his bottom lip slightly, still feeling the faintest memory of the touch of Michael's lips. What had driven the angel to kiss him... He couldn't fathom it.

Having gone nowhere in his book, he set it down, not bothering to bookmark the page he was on, suspecting that he would never get to reading it again for quite a while. His eyes, just like his thoughts, strayed around the room.

It was possible that Michael truly felt something for him, and, he reflected, and maybe... just maybe... if Raphael weren't married, he probably would have acted sooner.

Married...

It was funny. That was a word for a long-lasting bond between two people. And, if he could believe that, he might as well have been 'married' to Michael. He was married legally to Gabrielle, yet, he had to admit, he felt something more for his archangel partner than for his wife. Not that he didn't care for Gabrielle, except... He thought of her as more of a sister than anything else. Their marriage had not really been their choice, but the product of a political agreement between their parents. They were promised to each other at an early age, and their marriage had sealed the pact.

Having been thrown into such an arrangement, he supposed they could say that they did well. They'd had no dislike for each other when they were introduced during their last year of grade school. In fact, they'd gotten along quite well -- much to their parents' delight. Neither of them had known what to think of their marriage; it was strange, bewildering, to be thrown into such an arrangement. That was one thing they could share, their thoughts on the whole thing.

They had grown up as best friends, as close as if they were siblings. Their marriage had not changed that. They treated each other the same, the wedding bands on their fingers just a symbol of a pact not of love -- at least, not a love that went past familial -- but of politics.

He lifted his hand now and looked at the golden band on his ring finger. For Gabrielle, he felt affection, love for her as if she was part of his family.

...And what about Michael? What did he feel for _him?_

Some degree of love, certainly. They had known each other for a long time -- years he hadn't bothered to count and wouldn't bother to now -- had worked closely as first- and second-in-command of Valhalla. And Michael was fun to be around, always ready with a grin and a joke. He made friends everywhere he went; his smile would disarm the most uptight of strangers -- and that was if they weren't already immediately charmed by his boyish looks and manner. Even when business called for him to be serious, there was still something that drew people to him, a charisma that was just about irresistible. That, combined with intelligence and diplomatic skill, was what had gotten him where he was now.

But... how far exactly did that 'love' reach?

Even if he wanted to answer that question, he wouldn't have one.

With a frustrated sigh, Raphael stood. His mind a jumble of questions with no answers, he left his rooms for a short walk. He didn't know where he was going, only trusting his feet to take him where they wanted to go, absently acknowledging the people who greeted him.

He kept picturing Michael in his mind, kept hearing him. He remembered the hurt and the longing in his voice and clouding his blue eyes.

'I should check on him.'

The thought came suddenly, but he balked a little at the idea. And do what exactly, without further escalating things between them? He didn't quite know, but he had a feeling he wouldn't get any rest until he saw Michael again.

"Aria," he hailed a servant passing through the halls.

"Raphael-sama," she smiled and bowed.

"Have you seen Michael-sama?"

"Yes, just a little while ago. I think he was going to his room, Raphael-sama."

"Thank you, Aria."

"Anytime, sir!" She bowed again before continuing on her way.

He walked down the way she came. As he neared Michael's apartments, a guard stopped him.

"Raphael-sama, Michael-sama wishes not to be bothered unless it's an emergency."

"Aa. It's all right. I'll only be a minute."

The young man hesitated; it seemed he was new to his job -- or at least, his station -- and was unsure of how he was supposed to act. After all, Michael was the commander of Valhalla. Then again, Raphael ranked nearly as high, so close that, to those who worked closely with them, the difference between their stations was just about irrelevant. Finally, he nodded, though he still looked a bit uncertain.

"I-- I guess it's up to him if he could see you."

Raphael nodded and gave him an encouraging smile before continuing. Michael's rooms were at the end of the hall, closed and locked.

Michael rarely, if ever, locked his door this time of day.

Remembering the guard's words, Raphael knocked. "Michael?"

Only silence answered him. Curious. He _was_ inside, since the door was locked and the guard wouldn't be there without a reason. He never for a moment considered the possibility that Michael had done all this then left from his balcony, as he was wont to do when he was younger. Now, if the walls were not smooth and devoid of any handholds or footholds, or if there was a trellis or pipe situated near a window or the balcony, Raphael might not have put it past the other archangel to make an escape. Had they been younger, of course, Raphael told himself with an inward smile as he knocked again.

"Michael? Are you all right?"

There was a pause, before he heard a muffled, "I'm fine, Raphael. I'm busy. If you have something that calls for my attention immediately, I'll be right there."

He stood there for a while, silent. Michael obviously did not want to see him. But was it just him or was it everyone in general? The order he gave to the guard certainly implied the latter, but he suspected that was not the reason it was given out in the first place.

He wanted to say, yes, there was some important business he needed to see Michael about immediately. But what could it be? He _was_ off today, after all, so it would not sound right. Neither could he say it was an emergency, for if there was such a thing, Michael would have already been alerted.

He did not want to say he was there because of what had happened earlier.

So instead, he settled for saying, "It's nothing, Michael-sama. Forgive me for disturbing you."

Raphael hesitated once more before walking away. 'Coward. Why didn't you just tell him?'

He at least had an answer to that question. He would only hurt Michael further.

------------------------------------  
1: 'God' or 'Kami,' 'God' or 'Kami'... Oh, man, that was hard. But 'God' kinda sounded better with a lot of the sentences, so I went with that. And I'm clearing away the Japanese.


	3. Chapter 2: Tears

**

Chapter 2: Tears

**

Michael said nothing about what happened when Raphael was back at work the next day. In fact, he acted as if he had never gone to visit his second-in-command at all the day before. Except for one instance when he asked if Raphael would report his communications with Chihaya -- to his relief, the dark-eyed angel had slowly shaken his head in response -- he said nothing about what had happened between the both of them.

Still, anyone could tell that something was wrong. His smiles were rare, all of them forced and looking it. Even he saw the fatigue in his own eyes when he saw his reflection on his computer screen. In place of his usual light banter was silence.

He couldn't focus, either. Every once in a while, he would get up and walk to the window. Not to sooth himself with the sight of the gardens, for it was as if he didn't even see them; he might as well have been blind for all his staring at the flowers in full bloom and not noticing their beauty. Or he would stop whatever he was doing and just stare blankly at his screen. At times, he got dizzy spells and would just have to close his eyes and wait until they went away; they got worse and more frequent as time passed. He rarely worked for more than five minutes at a time.

After a little more than two hours of this, Raphael stood and walked to the window to stand at Michael's side. "Are you all right?" he said quietly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

The archangel made no effort to meet his gaze. "I'm fine."

"That was rhetorical," Raphael said gently. "You look like hell, Michael."

'I feel like hell,' he thought to himself, but didn't voice the thought aloud.

Instead, he repeated, "I'm fine, Raphael. I really am." He paused. "I-- I'm just tired. I was up late last night -- working. I guess I just didn't have enough coffee this morning."

His second-in-command didn't relent, stepping up his efforts instead; too late did Michael realize his slip.¹ "In that case, maybe you should take the rest of the day off. There really isn't anything that requires your immediate attention today, and if anything comes up--"

"I said I'm _fine_," he interrupted. "If it'll make you happy, I'll go rest when I finish my work."

"_Finish!_ Michael, you've done _nothing_ in two hours! When exactly do you plan to 'finish' your work? Next _century?_"

He winced and glanced at the tall archangel, surprised at the outburst. Raphael was usually the more calm and collected one out of the two of them. It was a rare occasion when he raised his voice, let alone when he got angry. Michael could not even recall the last time he'd shown even the faintest hint of a temper, it had been such a long while.

"I'm fine," he muttered for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"No, you're not," was the firm reply. "Michael, you don't sound like you've convinced _yourself_ that you are. So how am I supposed to believe it if you yourself don't?"

"What the hell do you care?" he retorted, surprising even himself at how angry he _didn't_ sound.

"What do I care?"

Raphael's voice, instead of growing louder, grew softer. And somehow, this made him seem all the more intense, almost dangerous. His anger made up for the lack of feeling on Michael's part. The blonde's eyes widened at this change in his demeanor, and he suspected he might have backed away if he hadn't been so surprised. If the other angel's temper was rare, that it was turned on him was all the more so.

"I care," the storm-eyed angel growled, "because you are my colleague and my best friend. _I care_ because you are someone close to me, someone very dear to me. Damn it, I care because you're going to drive me _insane_ with all your pacing!"

He was shaking, Michael could see, just very slightly. And as quickly as it had come, the anger disappeared, replaced with deep concern. With this change back to the partner he was familiar with, he relaxed, a bit surprised at how tense he had become. Raphael tugged at his arm.

"Come on, Michael. I'll walk you to your room. Even if it's just for a couple of hours today, you should rest. You know better than to overwork yourself."

He shrugged off the other angel's hand. "It's all right, don't worry. I'll make it through the day."

A slight, frustrated sigh. "How about I call the medics and we'll see what they say? Michael-sama, either way, whether it's me or them, someone's going to drag you to your room whether you like it or not."

It was obvious that, no matter what he said, Raphael wouldn't relent. Somewhat amused, he recalled a similar situation from a few years before. Of course, the subject of that argument then had been trivial, a matter of plans for a day off.²

Michael smiled softly at his second-in-command, his first real smile of the day. "All right, I give up. I'll go." Crystal blue eyes twinkling, he added, "But I'll give none of you the privilege of dragging me there."

He left his place at the window, feeling Raphael's dark eyes on him the whole time. He thought of gathering some of his things to work on in his room, but thought better of it, suspecting the other archangel would somehow convince him into leaving them anyway. The same logic rendered moot the idea of forwarding his still unreviewed documents to the console in his private office. That, and he most likely wouldn't get anything done.

He made it as far as the door when another dizzy spell hit. Now without the support of his chair, he instead settled for that of the doorframe, reaching for it as the world spun in and out of focus.

The next things he was aware of were arms supporting him, Raphael's "Michael! Hold on!", and the realization that he'd missed the doorframe by mere centimeters. Stubborn to the end, he shrugged away with a vehement statement that he was fine, and walked forward, trying to focus as the world around him continued to twist and turn.³

He barely registered the fact that he was falling and his second-in-command's catching him once more. As if from far away, he heard Raphael calling for he medics, voice thick with worry. He closed his eyes, finally surrendering, and sagged bonelessly against the tall archangel, letting his mind slip into the darkness that beckoned him away from his unstable world.

"Michael? Michael!"

He heard the footsteps of he approaching medics as thought from faraway.

'I -- I'm all right.' he wanted to reassure them all. 'I'm just...'

The voices faded soon enough, the medics' usually impartial tones laced with worry as he failed to respond, Raphael's slowly -- however faintly -- growing distressed. The last thing he was aware of was the strangest sensation on his cheek. It was felt almost... wet?

'But why would you......'

+ + + + +

It was late afternoon when Michael awoke. He was in his apartments, his bedroom specifically. The drapes had been pulled across the windows and the glass door leading out into a balcony, but some of the soft sunlight had managed to find its way through the breaks between them. The lights were turned down low, easy on his eyes as he blinked all traces of drowsiness away. Yawning a little, he sat up.

He made to get out of the bed, but heard a commanding, "Freeze."

Raphael was at the door, cool, dark eyes watching him for any further movement. It was not often that the archangel used that tone with him, those times happening to be similar to this. So he obeyed and did nothing.

"Are you all right now? Need anything?" Raphael asked as he approached. "Are you hungry?"

The golden-haired angel shook his head a little and mumbled, "Fine."

His companion looked at him dubiously, but said nothing to contradict him, stating simply, "That's good to hear."

He lay back down, feeling lightheaded, while Raphael took the seat beside the bed. For a few long moments, there was a silence in which he stared up at the ceiling, getting the slightest urge to squirm under the steady, dark gaze of the other angel.

"Well, the medics said it's nothing bad," Raphael said finally. "Just exhaustion." It felt almost as if he was willing Michael to meet his gaze. "An extreme case. They were surprised you'd lasted so long with so little sleep. Not only that, you managed to hide it very well, too."

He winced at the slight accusation in the other's voice. Throwing an arm over his eyes, he mumbled, "Working."

It wasn't exactly a lie. He _had_ been up working the past several nights. Things had piled up of late, more than he was used to. He had yet to accustom himself to the slew of reports that had been coming in, there being more investigative pairs than in the past, along with overseeing the academy and dealing with the occasional request or order from officials on Eden. Truth told, his late nights working were what kept him ahead of things instead of just keeping up, and he liked it better that way.

He just hadn't been up _because_ of the work. It was a mere convenience for him, that he had something to do. Still, he found it so much easier to utter his excuse when he couldn't see the dusky eyes of his companion. Raphael knew him too well -- sometimes, it was as if he knew _more_ about him than himself -- and would see the real reason in his eyes if he saw them. While this was a good thing most of the time, allowing them to work without constantly having to consult with each other, this was one instance where he didn't want his partner to read him.

'Are you _sure_?' a voice needled him.

Again, there was silence. Michael could feel the other archangel's eyes never leaving him. It was almost as if he was waiting for something else to be said, almost as if he already knew the truth.

He hated it. He hated lying and he hated the guilt Raphael was making him feel just by being there. He hated himself for not wanting the angel to leave him alone.

"You're not to leave your room, they said, until they deem you fit," Raphael once again broke the silence, standing up. "I'm personally making sure of it."

Michael waited before he heard footsteps away from the bedroom and felt the dimming of the light as the door was partly closed before uncovering his eyes again. Sighing, he shifted into a more comfortable position. With Raphael "personally making sure" he'd get some rest, it was no use trying to protest otherwise.

'Couldn't I at least get a book,' he grumbled to himself and closed his eyes again, even the dim light of the room becoming too much for him.

Not surprisingly, he fell asleep again.

------------------------------------  
1: Coffee. Neither of them drank coffee, not anytime that I remember. It's always tea. Yes, I know tea has more caffeine (or something like that?), but one tends to think that it's coffee that snaps you awake. (Though it's true for K. But that might just be all the sugar she dumps in. ^^;;)  
2: Referring to Secret Garden 3. The one when Michael cuts his hand. ^_^  
3: If you know what something here used to be, then you might have an idea how I hate how it sounds now. If you don't know, then good for you.


	4. Chapter 3: Rain

**

Chapter 3: Rain

**

His nap was short this time, only just about two hours long, give or take a few minutes. It was dusk, the room darker now without sunlight. His door was still partially open, the main source of light coming from the hallway. He heard Raphael's voice, in his clipped business tone, probably in discussion with someone on the phone. There were wet, pattering sounds on the windows; it was raining.

Slowly, without a sound, he left the bed. Bare feet making muffled shushing noises on the carpeted floor, he padded to the glass door. Like in his office, he had a perfect view of the gardens from his balcony in the apartments. Late as it was and the rain clouds making the dusk darker than it usually would be, the gardens may as well have been one of shadows than of flowers. But still, the scent of the blooms came faintly through the closed doors, mixed with the stronger smell of the rain.

Michael closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He loved rainy days and thought the nights even better. The sound of rain against the windows was as soothing as a lullaby and the coolness in the air during a storm was one that made him glad to be warm and cozy in a bed.

He glanced around the room, almost expecting Raphael to be at the door. But the other angel was still in the office, still deep in discussion. He heard his name and a soft, almost inaudible to his ears, affectionate chuckle. It made him curious as to the subject and the identity of the ash-blonde archangel's friend. But not so much that he would go to the door and try to find out.

Carefully, he unlocked the glass door and slid it open. Although he made no more noise than a whisper, he checked the room again anyway. Amused at the thought of himself like a child slipping away in secret to play with his friends, he stepped out on the balcony and closed the door behind him.

The balcony was sheltered, but not so much that the rain still came in sheets. Michael turned his face upwards toward the sky, a slight smile on his lips as the cold drops hit him. Rain was wonderful, cleansing. Albeit, it was a bit depressing, rain being called the tears of the gods. Nevertheless, he loved it. Ever since he was a child, to the absolute irritation of his mother, he had loved to play in the rain. His earlier analogy to a child and his friends may as well be about his younger self.

He sighed and leaned on the railing, not caring how wet he was getting; he was already soaked, anyway, so he couldn't possibly get any wetter. 'Ah, the simplicity of childhood,' he thought to himself, grinning now as he remembered those days of rain dances and mud fights. 'Such a long time ago.'

Thunder rumbled in the distance and there were faint flashes of lightning on the horizon. The storm would definitely get worse before it got better. Wiping his wet curls away from where they plastered his cheeks, he briefly wished he was of an age young enough to merit dancing in the rain.

'Ah, well...'

+ + + + +

"Are you kidding?! I could've beaten them if I had laryngitis." A pause. "Ne, seriously, Raphael, you should really come over here sometime. You and Michael both. And for _vacation_, not another one of those conferences. I could show you around. All the best places to go, y'know, where people are tolerable."

The tall archangel chuckled, dark eyes twinkling. "I swear, Uriel, despite all the things you keep on saying, you spend more of your free time on Earth than on Eden."

"Yeah, I probably do," the brown-haired archangel on the screen said cheerfully. "But, you've gotta admit, it's a lovely vacation spot. Despite what I say. And if you know where to go, well, that's all the better. Less trouble, less grumbling, everyone's happy. Oh, hey, by the way, where _is_ Michael?"

Raphael cast a glance at the partially open door leading to the apartments. "He's resting at the moment. He fainted this morning."

Uriel sat up in his chair. "What? Is he all right?"

"Aa," he replied, nodding. "It's nothing serious. Apparently, he'd been getting little sleep these past few days."

"Workaholic or insomniac?" the other archangel laughed, then added in a joking tone, "Or maybe he has a special lady friend, eh?"

_"Some rules have to be broken, or the pain builds and tears you apart."_

"Work."

'At least, that's what he says,' he added silently, looking once more at the dark, quiet hall.

_"I meant it, you know. Every word I said back then, everything I've ever said. I meant it."_

'...Michael...'

There was knocking on Uriel's end of the line, accompanied by a faint, "Uriel-sama? Are you in?"

"Well, that's my cue." The singer snickered and gave a small wave. "Oh, God, 'Uriel-sama.' Can't say I relish the title when it's on their lips. Bah! See you in a couple of days, Raphael-sama! I hope the weather's better by then. Oh, and give my regards to Michael-sama. Tell him not to be such a workaholic, or I'll get myself back up there and _sing_ him to sleep every night."

With a hasty "Excuse me." and a mischievous smile, the archangel cut off the connection. Raphael laughed softly at the image of the angel singing lullabies to Valhalla's commander. Although, he had to admit, it would probably work -- Uriel _was_ the 'Miracle Voice,' after all.

'You never know, Uriel,' he thought, amused at the images running through his head. 'I just might have to take you up on that offer of yours.'

He stood, keying in the command to send the console into sleep mode, then went to the attached apartments. He would leave soon, he decided, since Michael was likely to sleep on through the night. Indeed, he had not expected the archangel to be awake when he last checked, as the medics had predicted that he would sleep until morning, his body taking that well-needed rest to recover itself.

He recalled the morning's events and froze at the bedroom door, willing the hand on the doorknob to not start shaking again. He had been frightened earlier, when Michael fainted. It had definitely been something he did not expect. As he had said earlier, his partner had hid his sleep deprivation well; he had not for one minute suspected that Michael was keeping late hours and not getting enough rest. It was only when they were arguing, when the other angel mentioned coffee, that the idea of something being wrong entered his mind. And by then, it was too late.

"Michael?" he called out softly.

He opened the door halfway, letting the light of the hallway into the room. It was still too dark to see, the storm adding to the gloom night always brought. So Raphael stepped inside and turned a nearby lamp on to a low setting. After his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he glanced around.

The bed was empty.

Alarmed, the archangel turned on the main lights. Blinking to get his eyes adjusted to this change in light quickly, he scanned the room again. Michael was nowhere in it. He could not have left, for the door to the office was the only way out. There was another exit out of the apartments through the sitting room across the hall, but Raphael had made sure to lock the doors into the room, limiting any 'escape routes' to one.

'At least, out to the rest of the building...'

The balcony. Besides hiding in the bathroom or a closet, that was the only place his partner could be. He strode to the glass door and pushed away the curtains. Sure enough, Michael was outside, leaning against the railing, not seeming to notice anything but the rain.

He slid the door open. "Michael-sama!"

The angel turned his head slightly to gaze at him out of the corner of his eyes. Rivulets of water ran down his pale face while sopping wet, blonde tresses were plastered to his skin. A faint smile hovered on his lips, matching the faraway look in his crystal blue eyes.

"You idiot," Raphael chided gently as he wrapped an arm around Michael and led him inside. "What did you think you were doing out there?" Without waiting for an answer -- or expecting it, really -- he led the drenched angel to the bathroom and ordered, "Out of the wet clothes and take a hot shower, Michael-sama. I'll get your things."

He left the archangel there, trusting him to have sense enough to follow directions. Sure enough, within moments, he heard the hiss of the shower from within. Nodding to himself, satisfied that Michael was doing as he was told -- 'For once.' -- he went to the closet, retrieved a robe and a set of nightclothes, and left them in the bathroom.

'Stupid,' he told himself silently. 'How long was he out there? God, now he'll _really_ be sick, I'm sure of it!'

He went out to the office and, opening the door into the main hallway, caught the attention of a passing servant and ordered the woman to bring extra blankets to the apartments. Bobbing her head, she left in a flash, coming back only a few moments later with the blankets in her arms. He took them from her with a hasty thanks and brought them to the bedroom.

He was in a turmoil of emotions as he arranged the new blankets on the bed. He was worried, certainly, for Michael's health. Angry at the other angel for doing what he did. And, strangely, curious as to what had driven him to go out there into the pouring rain.

'Oh, you should know,' a voice reminded him grimly.

He refused to dwell on the thought. The voice was probably right.

"Raphael?"

He looked up. Michael stood in the doorway, clad in the soft, sky blue nightclothes Raphael had set out for him, the snow-colored robe hanging about his shoulders. The dark-eyed archangel rose and went to him, all of his previous thoughts clearing out of his mind.

"I'm sorry, Raphael." Michael kept his gaze on the floor and allowed himself to be led to the bed. "I... I don't know what I was thinking..... I'm so sorry... I don't know how you keep on around me. I must be such a nuisance to you..."

Whether Michael meant it or not, he heard another meaning to those words. No, he couldn't dwell on that. He _wouldn't._

"I'm used to you, Michael-sama," he said truthfully. "After all this time, one would think that I have to be. You've yet to be a bother."

Soft laughter from his companion as he climbed into the bed and allowed the dark-eyed angel to pull the blankets up around him. Raphael allowed his hands to linger a moment on the soft cloth before pulling them away, ignoring the fact that the move was almost reluctant. He had done this twice in one day, the only difference with this time being that there were more blankets.

"Raphael," Michael spoke after a short silence.

"Hm?"

"Awhile ago, you asked..." His friend closed his eyes and buried himself deeper into the covers, only now beginning to shiver a little. "You asked what I was doing out there... In the rain..."

He was so pale. Raphael brushed the other's wet bangs away from his eyes, but had to fight not to do anything more. This time, he did not delay pulling away.

"Aa. I did."

The answer came softly, almost inaudible. Michael was already half asleep, this last murmur likely his last before unconsciousness claimed him. Had Raphael not been so close as he was, he would never have heard the words.

"...I was crying with the gods..."


	5. Chapter 4: Secret Garden

**

Chapter 4: Secret Garden

**

Raphael was at Michael's rooms the first thing in the morning, true to his word that he would take responsibility for his superior. As soon as the commander of Valhalla was awake and had eaten breakfast, he'd called a medical team to the apartments. They had fussed over the angel for quite a while before Michael finally lost his patience and ordered them out. Coolly, Cailen, the head medic, gave Raphael the diagnosis and the needed medication.

"I wish you luck with him, sir," she told him as she left, her face straight but her eyes twinkling.

"I think I just might need it," he chuckled. "Thanks a lot, Cailen."

"For the luck or that I did my job?"

She was gone before he could give an answer. Shaking his head, he gave a brief smile as he set the medicine on the desk.

'Let's hope you don't have to come again anytime soon.'

"Let me guess," Michael muttered as he entered the bedroom. "I'm going to be bedridden for a week."

He arched an eyebrow at the other angel. "And whose fault would that be, Michael-sama?"

His companion made a face and buried himself deeper into the blankets with a quiet, "It's too cold."

Raphael made a small sound in his throat and felt Michael's forehead with the back of his hand. "I think you're fever's higher than it was last night." Unconsciously, he brushed the golden bangs away from pale blue eyes. "You need your rest, Michael. I'll be outside if you need me."

Briefly, he thought of taking that statement back. Maybe he should stay in the room to watch over the other archangel. The fever was too high for his comfort. At least Michael didn't have the strength to pull another walk in the rain; the man barely had enough energy to stay awake. He should be there in case the sickness got worse.

However, he felt a bit uncomfortable, even now. Michael's words from the past two days kept circling around his mind, leaving him dizzy with confusion.

_"Some rules have to be broken..."_

_"I meant it, you know. Every word I said..."_

'Michael... Why are you doing this to me? _What_ are you doing to me?'

_"...I was crying with the gods..."_

'It hurts. Kami... What is this? Why is does it hurt? Is this what you feel...?'

It had always been there, the painful feeling in his soul. He couldn't remember when it had started, only that he became aware of it that day Michael more or less voiced what he felt. But the questions... They'd plagued him ever since those last few words they'd exchanged last night.

And the answers. Maybe -- no, most likely -- he already had them. But he shut himself to them, fearing they would only confirm his ideas of what they were. He didn't know what was worse: having questions that had no answers or having questions that he could answer quite easily but refused to acknowledge.

The fair-haired angel favored him with a faint smile, breaking him away from the dangerous roads his thoughts were traveling. "I suppose a bedtime story would be out of the question."

Dusk-dark eyes glimmering, he returned the smile and, in all seriousness, replied, "That all depends on if I know the story."

+ + + + +

"Where is he? I can see him, right?"

"Yes, if he's awake, you could, but--"

"Oh, that's good!"

"Don't wake him if he's asleep."

"Honestly, Raphael! You don't think I know that?"

'Hm?'

Michael looked up from the papers he was looking over at the muffled sound of a female voice in the outer office. With a shake of his head, he braced himself for another round of giving the same answers to the same questions on his well-being. Really, those who visited were nearly, if not as cloying as the mixed scents of the flowers that filled his room. Even Raphael was irritated with the number of visitors he was getting. The day before, he'd even had a guard posted at the door with orders not to let anyone through unless it was for important business.

'The downside of being well-known,' he thought idly.

Sighing, he looked out the window at the dreary, gray skies. It had been raining nonstop for four days, since the night he had gone out to the balcony to stand under the pouring sheets of water. He almost wished he had the nerve to go out there again. Unfortunately, to go for another trip out in the rain meant he'd get worse. Getting sicker meant more days confined to his bed. And at the moment, if he had to stay put even an hour more than he already had to, he would throw a fit that would make a three-year-old proud.

Laughing softly at that thought, he shifted to a more comfortable position and prepared to greet his visitor.

"Well, you're in quite a mood today, Michael-sama," a musical voice came in the direction of the doorway.

He blinked and looked up. Bright, sapphire blue eyes half-hidden by a curtain of pale blonde bangs met his gaze from the partly open doorway.

"Gabrielle!"

He grinned and beckoned the woman in and chuckled at the simple bouquet she presented to him. Surely Raphael had a hand in the chosen blooms. Unlike the other bouquets he'd received, this one conveyed a message. He remembered flowers had been a way of communication between himself and Raphael a few years before, since there were few people who understood their silent language. When they had been elevated to their positions in Valhalla, there'd been no need to use their 'secret' language anymore.

He wasn't surprised he still remembered what the flowers meant. Scarlet geraniums with white saxifrage blooms, wishing him comfort and conveying affection. Amid them were coreopsis flowers, their brick-colored centers surrounded by golden yellow edges, a message for him to be always cheerful. The flowers were in the middle of the bouquet, edged by fragrant cedar bark and balm leaves; they served a double purpose, not only giving a message of strength and sympathy, but having a strong enough scent to block out that of the rest of the flowers in his room, if he was close enough to the boquet.¹

"Working, Michael?" she asked as she sat at the chair beside the bed, eyeing the papers in his lap with amusement. "I would've thought Raphael wouldn't let you do anything until you were better."

"Oh, believe me, convincing him was no small feat," he replied with a small smirk.

He had spent almost an hour that morning arguing with his second-in-command -- or rather, he argued, the other angel calmly refused him. He needed _something_ to do before he went crazy. However, he did feel guilty about threatening to go out in the rain again. He remembered how Raphael's face had paled then, the stricken expression that had crossed his face for a mere second before he finally gave in to his superior. Michael had said it as soon as the idea surfaced in his mind, not meaning anything by it. It had been just something to say, an argument to make, or so his mind had reasoned at the time. It came out before he was able to stop himself from speaking.

After that little episode, he'd briefly wondered about his dark-eyed partner. Raphael had softened, somewhat, his voice gentle, a smile -- however faint it was -- gracing his lips more often than before. But the look in his eyes... Michael wasn't sure if he realized it was there, the confusion, the faraway gleam, constantly being replaced by a defiant, vehement denial, then stubbornly returning.

"Sooo... Did she come and visit you yet?" Gabrielle's tone was low, secretive.

"W-what?" He blinked at her, confused.

"You're cute," she laughed. "Don't you deny it either, Michael. You have that same love struck look I've seen Raphael sporting lately." She propped her arms on the bed and gave a conspiratorial smile. "So, who is she? Did you see her yet? I'll bet all of these flowers are from her, hm?"

He stared at her, saying nothing. Was she joking or was she serious? He couldn't quite tell which. And if she _was_ serious, could he really be that obvious? ...What _was_ he doing on this train of thought, anyway?

"Love struck?"

"Oh, you have it bad," she said, her voice faintly sympathetic. "Maybe not as bad as _some_"--at this, she threw a glance at the door to the office--"but it's definitely hit hard."

'Love struck?' he repeated, only to himself this time. 'Raphael?'

He tried to picture it, the stoic, quiet archangel fopping over some female; quite frankly, it didn't happen. Michael really couldn't see him with anyone else but Gabrielle. Then, startled, he realized that she hadn't been referring to herself as his object of affection.

"But--" he began to protest, but stopped, more confused than ever. Then, after a while, "How could you say things like that? You say it as if he was nothing more than a good friend. You're _married_ to him, Gabrielle!"

A startled expression flashed across her face before she shook her head and looked at her wedding band. "So... He didn't tell even you..."

"I don't understand..."

"I-- Hm." She let her gaze rove around the room for a moment, before looking back at him. "Let me put it this way, Michael: the marriage is nothing but a legal agreement. Our parents arranged it and when we finally understood what was happening, we had no choice but to go along with it." A light giggle. "In the way you say it, even I'd say he's more married to you than he is to me."

Michael fidgeted for a moment. He didn't know what to make of all this. Though it _did_ explain how Gabrielle could talk of things so easily, he still couldn't believe what she had said.

"Now, tell me, Michael, and don't change the subject this time," the bright-eyed archangel's voice cut into his thoughts. "Who's the lucky girl?"

He tilted his head a little, a hand unconsciously traveling up to bury itself in his golden curls. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

"Ugh, honestly, the two of you..." She made a face at him. "I don't know which of you is worse. _He's_ in denial and _you_ are absolutely clueless."

He was about to reply when there was a polite knock. The two archangels looked up to find Raphael in the doorway, storm-dark eyes fixed on the two of them. His expression was unreadable; briefly, Michael wondered if he'd overheard what they had been talking about.

'Love struck...'

He saw no change in his partner. Nor had he noticed anything different for the past few days, for that matter. If Raphael was not tending to the daily business of Valhalla, he was either with Gabrielle or fussing over Michael. It was what he had always done. Perhaps a lot less on the fussing part, but this time was an exception, Michael usually able to take care of himself. Raphael, aware of his contemplative gaze, met his blue eyes for a moment before turning to Gabrielle. In that brief flash of connection, Michael still saw nothing, hard though he tried to.

'Maybe,' he told himself at last, 'it's that female intuition.'

"Gabrielle, there's a woman named -- ah -- Marivel looking for you."

"Okay, love, tell her I'll be right there."

Raphael nodded and went back outside.

"Well, I guess I have to go then." Gabrielle got up and planted a light kiss on Michael's cheek. "Get well soon, Michael. I'll see you some other time." She hesitated for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip, then looked him straight in the eye. "And for God's sake, figure out who she is and tell her you love her."

He watched her go, unable to say anything. Not because he was still confused -- though that was a large part of it -- but because he just had nothing to say. He picked up the bouquet she had given him and, closing his eyes, inhaled the mixed scents of the cedar and balm.

'Figure out who she is...?'

When he opened his eyes again, they fastened on something pink amid the white, yellow, and red of the blooms. He'd never noticed it to be there before. Curious, he parted the flowers to get a better look. Blue eyes widening in surprise, he gasped and the bouquet dropped to his lap.

It was a single dog rose, petals open in full bloom.²

At first he wondered why she would put the flower in. Gabrielle had limited knowledge on the language of flowers, but he didn't think she knew enough to send a message with them herself. Besides, she wouldn't send something like _this._ The only person he knew who could do so, who could put the blooms like this, who would add in a hidden blossom...

'Raphael?!'

------------------------------------  
1: Language of flowers. Spur-of-the-moment thing. ^^  
2: The dog rose means "pleasure and pain." It was the closest I could find to convey a sort of confused feeling. Pink roses (dog roses are pink) mean perfect happiness, gentility, grace, and "Please believe me." I was going for that last one. While writing this chapter, I inadvertently added another meaning to the rose, which I truly didn't mean, but am not taking out for the sole reason that it fits in with the rest of the meanings. It is this: a rose in full bloom means "I love you."


	6. Chapter 5: Truth

**

Chapter 5: Truth

**

Michael was already in the office when Raphael got there, humming a soft, nameless tune and typing away at his computer. When his second-in-command entered, he looked up with a grin.

"Morning!" he greeted the dark-eyed angel cheerfully.

"Good morning, Michael-sama," was the quiet reply, accompanied by a faint smile.

He seemed distracted, the greeting more of just an automatic reply than anything else. Michael watched as he took his seat, noticing preoccupation in his movements and wondering at it.

"The results of yesterday's testing came in this morning. The students are very promising."

"Aa." The archangel wouldn't meet his gaze.

Michael began to comment further on Valhalla's students but thought the better of it and fell silent. He suspected he'd get another curt, faraway answer, anyway.

'...Avoiding me?' he wondered, still watching as Raphael began to pull up the test scores he'd just commented on. 'Well, at least he's not _ignoring_ me.'

He had so many questions for the other archangel. He'd spent the days after Gabrielle's visit wondering at what exactly was going on with his dark-eyed partner. The dog rose was the foremost thing on his mind. In fact, he had the flower with him, secreted in one of the drawers of his desk. He was itching to bring it out and ask about it.

'Pleasure and pain. "I love you." "Please believe me..." '

He didn't know what to think. His mind kept going back to the day he'd kissed the other angel, the day things began to go into their downward spiral. Raphael had pushed him away then, saying it wasn't right. But his eyes... He'd seen pain in those dusk-dark orbs that day, longing.

He thought back to Gabrielle's visit. Even now, he still felt disbelief that their marriage had been arranged, that feelings between them were nothing more than familial.

_"You have that same love struck look I've seen Raphael sporting lately."_

She'd said that so easily, so offhandedly. Like a sister gossiping on her brother's life. It made what she'd said about her relationship to her husband seem just a bit more believable. Yet... It was still hard for him to swallow it down.

_"And for God's sake, find out who she is and tell her you love her."_

'Oh, Gabrielle... Would you still have said that if you knew? Would you have given me that advice?' He closed his eyes and clasped a hand over his heart. 'I love _him_, Gabrielle, I love your husband. I love Raphael. So much that it hurts...'

It went against the laws of Eden, against everything he'd been taught to uphold in his life. But even if he could hide the truth from others, he couldn't do the same from himself. It was wrong for him to be with another man, the laws stated. No one knew how long that had been in effect; no one even knew who exactly had passed it. True, that piece of information existed, but when did anyone ever think or care to look it up? Although, the reasons for the law were valid, never mind the fact that it _still_ did nothing and the angelic birth rate was what it had always been.

'Must you have made it so difficult...?' he asked no one in particular. 'Maybe you never knew what it's like...'

"Michael? Michael!"

He opened his eyes and inhaled sharply, gaze met by a pair of dusk-sky eyes that were too close for comfort. "Ah-- I-- I'm fine," he stammered. "Just-- thinking, that's all."

"I thought you might have fainted again." He stood to go back to his desk, but Michael grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Hm? What is it?"

After taking a deep breath, he said quietly, "I-- Um... I want to ask you something, Raphael."

The other angel gave a small nod in reply and waited. Heart pounding, he opened the drawer he'd put the dog rose in and took the flower out. Still, the tall archangel said nothing, even when it was placed in his hand. But he turned his gaze away, so his bangs hid his dark eyes.

"Please," Michael said, voice barely a whisper, the familiar ache in his heart surfacing once more. "Explain this."

There was a long silence before his companion answered. "Is there anything to explain?" he answered, with a shrug, voice neutral. "Gabrielle put it in along with the rest of the flowers. I know what you must interpret the flower's meaning to be. She doesn't. Don't take it to heart."

He still refused to meet the blonde's gaze. This time, he calmly extracted himself from his partner's grip and went back to his desk. Michael stared at the space he'd occupied just the moment before.

"Even if there was meant to be a message, you know I still wouldn't do that. It's against our laws. Not everyone may know the language, but we're not the only ones. I wouldn't allow you to take such a risk, let alone take it myself."

"Against the law," he repeated, attempting to quell the pain within him. "You said that before."

As if in a dream, the golden-haired archangel stood and walked to his second-in-command, hearing the response of "So did you, once." as if from far away. Alarm flashed in Raphael's eyes, but he did nothing, even when Michael cupped his cheek in his hand.

"I love you, Raphael," he whispered. "Far too much to care about the law anymore."

He caressed the other's lips with his thumb before allowing his own lips to do the same. He implored the angel with this kiss, searching for a sign that his feelings were reciprocated; he felt a sliver of response before Raphael pushed him away. Just like before.

"Michael," he began, expression neutral but for the pain that was clearly shown in his dusk-dark eyes.

"No," the blonde interrupted. "Don't say anything." A step back, then another. "Just-- don't say anything."

'I told him, Gabrielle... I told him. It changes nothing...'

He fled the room before anything else could be said. He fled from the hurt Raphael's presence brought.

He couldn't escape the pain in his heart.

+ + + + +

Michael didn't return to the office that day. Shortly after he left, Raphael took his own leave to his rooms, instructing all of his messages to be redirected there. Just as the other angel had done before, he ordered a guard not to let anyone through unless it was for important business. Not only did he not want to be bothered; he didn't do any work. Even if he wanted to, he knew he wouldn't have been focused enough to get anything done.

He had to think. He spent the rest of the day doing so. His mind was running in confusing circles. Michael -- loved him? Of course he did. He knew that. He'd known ever since -- ever since when, exactly? That first kiss? No-- he'd known before that. He'd known, but he'd never acknowledged it.

But what about him?

He kept on picturing Michael in his mind. Those crystal blue eyes, so heartbroken, so hurt. Remembering that sent lancets of pain through his heart.

_"I love you, Raphael. Too much to care about the law anymore."_

'God... I think-- I think I may love you, too, Michael... But you know we can't afford that...'

Briefly, his mind went to Kagetsuya and Chihaya. They were banished for the same thing his superior -- and himself, for that matter -- was in danger of. They'd gone to Earth, given up everything... Kagetsuya had even given up his status as Prince of Eden.¹ All for love.

What had they felt when they'd made the decision to go to Earth? What had they thought as they were sent into exile? To give up their life on Eden with the laws that kept them separated for banishment... It was no light decision. They had courage, those two angels.

He turned away from his window, the sun having set and the skies having long faded into the darkness of night. He remembered Chihaya, Michael's black-winged, black-haired adopted son, his ever-present smile and his bright, amethyst-colored eyes. He remembered reading the dark angel's letters along with Michael, the idle amusement at the little quirks of Earthian life that he'd always described. Chihaya had been such a naive child, adamant in his belief that all Earthians were good.

Kagetsuya could not have been his opposite. Mature, stoic, with teal-ocean eyes that brooked no nonsense. Eyes that softened only when his gaze was directed at his black-winged partner. Before, when they had been nothing more than partners in an investigative team, he had always defended Chihaya, always claimed responsibility for the actions of his partner, even if meant being reprimanded along with the dark angel.

During their years in Valhalla, relations between them had been strenuous. They had argued a lot, mostly about their views on the Earthians. And yet, there was an unshakable bond between them, one that did not weaken even when they had been separated. Feelings that blossomed into love and led to their exile on Earth.

_"I don't care about tomorrow."_

Funny how appropriate it was to recall that now. He could still remember those eyes, so determined, so stubborn, so confident and sure. There was no more trace of green left in them, swallowed up by the bright, deep blue. And as it had in that very moment, the image brought to mind Michael, those azure eyes so difficult to look into, with the exact same look the archangel always took on when he refused to budge in his decisions. The same look Michael had given him mere hours before.

_"There is only _him_."_ And then again, but more vehemently this time, _"I don't care about tomorrow."_

A smile tugged at his lips, but there was very little humor in it. There was another face he could recall because of that memory. The source of the green in those eyes, and the strength. The force of character, too, and pride, and a million other things he had hated for so long and loved when it was already too late. Though he could still never admit to that latter part.

'Ah, you are truly worthy of your parents.' Then, with a touch of wistfulness that he chose to ignore, 'She would have _so_ loved to see you...'

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, making a decision he'd hoped he'd never have to think about. Feeling like his insides were doing back flips, he left his rooms. He was barely aware of nodding to the guard stationed at his door and informing him he could leave as he walked down the halls.

'What would I do... when the time comes to make my choice...'

"When" and not "if." He didn't bother to correct himself, nor did he want to. He'd already chosen what to do.

'Kagetsuya, Chihaya... I know, now -- what you had to go through...'

The door to Michael's apartments were unlocked and he let himself in. The blonde wasn't in the office, but he had expected that. The bedroom door was shut, but also unlocked. He opened it without preamble, stepped inside, and closed and locked it.

The archangel was sitting on his bed, legs folded beneath him. Locks of golden hair had fallen over one crystal-blue eye, but the remaining visible one was widened in surprise. A book sat forgotten in his lap, where it must have fallen when the tall angel entered.

"Raphael? Is something wrong?"

He strode to the bed, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds, and took the angel in his arms. Michael stared at him as he did so, frozen, blue eyes unreadable.

"You tell me if this is wrong," he whispered.

-------------------------------------  
1: Umm... This is right, isn't it? Er... I wasn't too clear on his status/position thingy. ::extremely dense::


	7. Chapter 6: Valse des Amoureux

**

Chapter 6: Valse des Amoureux

**

Without giving him a chance to say or do anything, Raphael brushed his lips against the angel's in a gentle kiss. Michael was rigid for one moment more before he responded, kissing back and returning the embrace.

Encouraged by this, he coaxed the other's lips open and deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into the warm depths of Michaels' mouth. The other archangel moaned, his hands entangling themselves in his second-in-command's dark sea green hair.

'Oh, God... I -- I've wanted this...haven't I...?'

He broke the kiss long enough to allow them both to get some air and for him to gently push Michael down into the pillows. His hands traveled to the buttons of the other angel's shirt and undid them one by one, exposing the smooth, pale skin underneath. Pushing the clothing off the blonde's elegantly sloped shoulders, Raphael captured his lips once more, savoring the faint strawberry taste of them before trailing light, nipping kisses down his neck, letting his hands wander further down. Michael arched into his touch, exposing more of his soft skin to the dark-eyed angel.

Then, he felt hands pushing him back. "Raph-- Raphael..." he heard the blonde angel's voice as if from far away. "Stop, Raphael... Please..."

Reluctantly, he obeyed and pulled away, sitting up. He stifled a gasp at the sight of his superior, flushed, chest heaving with his deep breaths, curls splayed over his shoulders and across the pillows. But his eyes... They were filled with tears, hurt, with want warring with some emotion he couldn't quite identify.

"Wha--" he began. "Why--"

He took the angel's hands in his. "I'm sorry, Michael-sama. For -- everything, for the past several days, for -- for today. Especially today. I-- I didn't-- I wasn't..."

He trailed off, unable to gather his thoughts together, let alone put them into words. He wanted Michael to forgive him for what he'd done; but he knew that wasn't possible. He couldn't even forgive _himself_ for pushing the blonde away, for hurting him like he did.

"I'm sorry..." he murmured helplessly.

Michael's tears fell freely now and he shut his eyes, taking a deep breath, as if trying to stop their flow -- a futile attempt -- before meeting his second-in-command's gaze once more. Raphael made to wipe the tears away, but the archangel chose to turn away from him at that moment.

"I don't... I... You were always holding me at arm's length, never letting me come any closer. You didn't seem to care, even when it was obvious that you did, like you didn't _want_ to. It hurt, you know, seeing the warmth in your eyes, then hearing the cold sting of your voice denying everything... It _hurt,_ Raphael."

"Michael..."

The angel turned to him again and silenced him with a look, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "No. Please... Don't say a thing." He got up, wrapped his arms around his dusk-eyed partner, and, with a tender kiss, whispered almost inaudibly, "Leave me, please, Raphael... I have to think about all this..."

He gazed into the blonde's crystal eyes and nodded ever so slightly. He didn't want to leave, not now, but he understood. How _could_ Michael not feel this way, what with all he'd said, all he'd done?

"...Don't take too long," he said, just as softly. "Please, Michael-sama..."

The archangel said nothing as he stood, averting his gaze to something out the window. 'I'm sorry, Michael,' he said silently. 'Forgive me...'

+ + + + +

"I... I don't know what to say..." Gabrielle whispered breathlessly.

Raphael shook his head. "Then don't say anything."

"Raphael, you know you can't do this."

'You think I _don't_?' The frustrated thought was involuntary, and he felt a twinge of guilt even if he had not said it aloud.

He stood up and walked to the window. "I do, Gabrielle. All too well, I'm afraid."

"But... Now I understand... Why the two of you were acting the way you were when I went to visit him..."

Raphael sighed and closed his eyes. Relations had been strained between himself and Michael since that night, almost three weeks past. It was like a dance now between the two of them, with words and actions both. It was amazing how they'd both been able to act normally around others, but when they were alone... That was another story. Lately, they'd even taken to working in their private Valhalla offices instead of the one they shared. Or Michael would remain on his estate, requesting all matters of importance to be forwarded to him there.

He turned back to his wife and was about to say something when there was a frantic knocking at the door. They exchanged looks before he called out that the door was unlocked. Sehri, one of the servants, entered, breathless.

"Raphael-sama, Gabrielle-sama," she bowed to the both of them. "Raphael-sama, there's a messenger for you from Valhalla. He said it was urgent. About Michael-sama."

He took a step forward just as his wife half-rose out of her chair. "Michael? Where's the messenger."

"Downstairs, Raphael-sama."

"Aa." He looked at Gabrielle once more before following the servant out.

The messenger was none other than the flame-haired Nuriel. He and Teleise had returned the week before with their mission's final reports and had been granted a short vacation before receiving new orders. The youth seemed worried, fidgeting in his seat. In his arms was a bouquet of flowers.

"Raphael-sama." He rose and bowed to the dark-eyed archangel.

"Nuriel," he nodded and smiled as they both sat. "No need for formalities. I'm not working right now. You have a message from Michael-sama?"

"No, Raphael -- sir." He blinked nervously, unused to saying his superior's name without the honorary suffix to it. "It's _about_ Michael-sama. He's -- well -- he's..."

The archangel gave an inward frown at the hesitation. "He's...?"

"Ano... Michael-sama, well--" A stricken expression crossed Nuriel's features for a brief moment, unbefitting for he's noble countenance. "He's gone, sir."

He stared at the young angel for a while until the information clicked in his mind. "What?"

"Y-yes. He is. Teleise and I went to see him in his office for our appointment, but he wasn't there. We went to the one where the both of you work, since maybe he went back there"--there was a faint, almost unnoticeable, question in his tone here--"but..." A helpless shrug. "Teleise went to inform Azriel-sama¹ of this and I left the academy and came straight here to tell you." At his superior's questioning look, he added, "We were told you were off for a few days and that you were spending the time here.

"There was a search started before I left. No one saw him leave, ever, but we couldn't find him. But... There was -- ah -- this..." He stood and gave Raphael the bouquet he'd been holding and an envelope before sitting again. "It was in the office, sitting on your desk."

It was simple, composed of white violets and red carnations. In the middle was a full-blown red rose placed over two rose buds of the same color.

'Let's take a chance on happiness. My heart aches for you.' He frowned slightly at the last part of the message, trying to recall his memory of the language of flowers. 'A rose with placed over two buds... Secrecy...?'

"Thank you, Nuriel. Sehri?" He glanced at the servant, standing unobtrusively in a corner, waiting for her next order. "Inform Gabrielle I'll be leaving with Nuriel and send her my apologies for cutting my visit so short."

"Yes, sir!" A sweeping bow and she was gone.

"Raphael -- ah -- sir?" the young investigative angel asked tentatively. "You know what happened to Michael-sama?"

He did not answer right away. He suspected that Michael's disappearance was not linked to foul play. For one thing, there was no one anybody was aware of who had something against Michael. For another, if anyone had taken the archangel against his will, they would have to be brilliant to bypass the security systems in Valhalla or his estate. Searches would have been started in both places and if anything suspicious was found, there would be some mention of it. They could even have contacted him here.

He shook his head in reply to Nuriel's question. "No, I'm afraid not. I'll have to be taking over his duties now and personally heading the search for him."

'...What are you doing now...'

"Raphael?" Gabrielle came down the stairs, Sehri in her wake. "What happened?"

"Michael's gone. I have to leave now."

The woman gasped. "A-all right," she murmured, shaking her head at the apology in his dusk-dark eyes. Then, hugging him and giving him a kiss on the cheek, she whispered, "I won't tell. Go find him."

At his stunned expression, she just smiled.

"The car's ready, Raphael-sama," Sehri supplied from her corner.

He murmured his thanks to his wife and kissed her once more before nodding to Nuriel to come with him. The young angel bowed to Gabrielle before hurrying to his side, silent, but curiosity and worry radiating off him as they got into the car.

Michael -- disappeared? And with a bouquet left as a message. Raphael didn't have any idea where the blonde would go. Perhaps back to Eden, but he doubted that no one had contacted their home world yet about the Valhalla commander's disappearance. He looked at the yet unopened envelope in his hand, his name across the front in Michael's flowing script.

"This was with the flowers."

Nuriel jumped at his voice and glanced at him. "Um-- Yes. It was."

"Ah."

With barely a blink, he opened the envelope. The letter was also in Michael's beautiful handwriting, without a single blemish or mistake.

__

Raphael,

I know you're worried about me. I can   
picture that frown you'll have as you read  
this. Don't do that. It's not very becoming.

The beginnings of a frown turned instead into a slight smirk. Michael knew him far too well.

_ I'm fine. Really. Please tell everyone   
else not to worry, either. I'll be back soon.   
I don't know when exactly, but it won't be   
for long. And I'm sorry for all the ruckus I   
know my disappearance must cause. The   
opportunity just presented itself to me   
and I had no time to do anything but   
decide to take it or not. _

I'm sure you must want to know where   
I am. However, I'm more sure of the fact that   
you'll probably come here and drag me   
back.

Please trust me, Raphael. I'll be back   
when I'm ready.

Michael 

The lower right corner of the paper was marked with tiny writing. 'Three, four, "r," seven, "h." Hm?'²

He didn't understand their meaning, yet he knew Michael must have put it there for a reason. He slipped the letter back into the envelope so he could decipher that particular mystery later.

---------------------------  
1: Just needed another authoritative figure at the academy.  
2: L33T speak. For 'Earth.'


	8. Chapter 7: Banana Bread

**

Chapter 7: Banana Bread

**

From Earth, Eden was only a star in the sky, no different from all the others that sprinkled the black expanse of space; the same could be said for Earth from a vantage point on Eden. Both planets, however, were easily seen from the Valhalla moon base.

It was Eden Raphael gazed at in the nights after Michael's disappearance. There were thorough searches on both the moon world he was now in command of and his home planet. A few days after he had been temporarily instated into the position, he -- reluctantly -- had to give up heading those searches in favor of business with the academy. After a week and a half, there was still nothing, not even a hint of where the archangel had gone. Those searches were still going on, but they didn't quite expect to find anything. Except for the note and flower message he had left for his second-in-command, there was no trace of the blonde archangel.

_"I thought I might find you here." Raphael chuckled as the angel looked up from the book he was engrossed in, causing a few golden locks to fall over his right eye. "You're not very good at hiding."_

_With a smirk, Michael brushed his hair away from his face and replied, "If I really wanted to hide, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, Raphael."_

The archangel sighed, eyes a stormy gray as he turned away from the window and strode to his desk; he still had work to do. 'Guess you were right, Michael-sama. You really can disappear when you don't want to be found.'

"Raphael-sama?"

The door opened and Nuriel appeared, busy in an awkward attempt to tie his fire-orange hair back. Teleise was behind him, sapphire eyes full of amusement at her partner. Raphael smiled and beckoned them both in.

"You called for us, sir?" the flame-haired angel inquired, finally settling for putting his tresses in a braid.

The archangel nodded "I did. The two of you are going back to Earth."

The two angels blinked, exchanged looks, then nodded in understanding. Nuriel began to ask something, but closed his mouth and settled back down, gaze roaming around the office.

"Michael and I had reviewed your request before he left. Teleise."

"Yes, sir."

"You will remain as Nuriel's partner." He held up his hand to keep either of them from speaking. "Your next assignment will last only about three weeks. Think of it as -- ah -- an observation period, if you will. The two of you will be sent to Germany, where you will make reports on that country and the surrounding areas. In addition to your checking in periodically -- both of you -- there is another pair of investigators who will visit from time to time, as well as random inquiries made by archangel Uriel-sama." He met the sapphire-eyed angel's troubled gaze. "A report that an angel is getting too close to the Earthians while on investigation is a serious matter. Although we aren't quite worried about you, this is still a necessary procedure. You understand, Teleise."

She nodded, twisting a lock of sunset purple hair around her finger. "Yes, Raphael-sama."

"The two of may go. You leave in three days."

"Sir," they both replied, rising and heading for the door.

"Oh, Nuriel."

"Raphael-sama?" His expression was a confused one as the archangel beckoned him back to the desk. "Is there something else?"

"I only need a moment, Nuriel. Here." He pushed his memo pad across his desk. "What do you make of this?"

"Sir?" Eyes as fiery as the angel's hair flashed confusion as he looked at the set of characters his superior had written down. "Earthian, letters of the Roman alphabet. Three, four, 'r,' seven, 'h...' I don't-- It's some sort of code, as far as I can guess, sir, but I haven't seen anything like it."

"My sentiments exactly."

"Sir -- if I may... Um... Where did you...?"

"Michael's letter. The one you delivered to me the day of his disappearance." He sighed, dark eyes as troubled as Teleise's had been moments before. "I didn't really think about it until today."

"Oh. Um... I'm sorry I can't be of much help, Raphael-sama. I can see how much finding Michael-sama is important for you." If he noticed the alarmed expression that flashed across his superior's face for a split-second, he wisely kept it to himself. "It's important for the rest of us, too. Michael-sama was -- is like a father to all of us here in Valhalla." He flushed and kept his gaze concentrated on the dark world beyond the office window. "You both are."

The archangel smiled softly at that. "And you are as children to us. Michael has expressed that countless times." A pause. "Thank you, Nuriel, you may go now. I've taken up too much of your time already."

The angel bowed with an obedient murmur and left the room. With another sigh, Raphael sat back in his chair, took the memo, and stared at it. The letters and numbers had a meaning to them; it totally escaped him, but he was absolutely sure of their significance to Michael's disappearance.

'This isn't like him,' he thought idly, turning the pad around in his hands. 'Left where only I could notice-- What?'

He'd seen it. Just for a moment, but he'd seen it. His eyes had become unfocused and the answer presented itself to him. He felt like laughing until he tried looking at the word again.

'But... Why there? Why on Eden would you...' He blinked.

"Of course... Right in our midst and still managing to elude us. Michael..." Raphael shook his head and gave a rueful smile. "Too intelligent for your own good."

+ + + + +

"Ch'. Earthians," Kagetsuya grumbled as he sat down beside Chihaya on the couch, nose wrinkled in distaste as he flipped through their mail. "Sending others a bunch of useless junk. Waste of time, waste of paper."

Chihaya smiled and snuggled up against his lover, not minding the quiet tirade one bit. One could say that it had become almost ritual. Over two years -- almost three -- since they'd taken permanent residence on Earth, even longer since the beginning of their investigations for Eden, and Kagetsuya _still_ viewed their adopted people with dislike and distrust. Sure, sometimes he was not serious, but those times did not happen often. A negative checker to the end, that was Kagetsuya.

Chihaya lifted his head at the faint sound of beeping. It sounded like the console in the other room.

"Hm? What's this?" the other angel had not noticed the sound, still engrossed in the mail, pausing to take one from the bunch in his hand.

It _was_ the console. Chihaya stood up and went to the room where they kept it. To anyone else, this was a mere computer, ordinary looking amongst Earthian machines, though it was anything but what it seemed to be. Despite their exile on Earth, Kagetsuya kept it in good repair. Not only was it faster and more efficient than anything the Earthians had now, but it was the favored mode of communication between them and Elvira. Then there was the fact that they still communicated with Eden on occasion.

The light signaling an incoming message was flashing so he sat down and typed in the code to accept the call. 'Hm. It's from here on Earth? But it's not...'

"Hello," he greeted uncertainly. "This is Chihaya,."

"Chihaya-kun! Long time, no see!"

"Ah! Uriel-sama!"

He could say nothing else past that. The archangel startled him, suddenly calling in out of the blue. Chihaya had never thought to expect him to contact them, especially after so long. And that wasn't counting the great risk he took in doing so.

"So, how are you doing?" Uriel continued smoothly.

"Eh? Uh-- erm... I'm fine, Uriel-sama," he stammered out. "B-but... why..."

He braced himself for the angel's next words for some reason. It was that expression, his mind reasoned. There was just something there that was so secretive in the brown-haired angel's demeanor and the light in his eyes was more than a little conspiratorial. Something that never boded well, he had learned long ago.

"You're coming here to Hawaii on Friday," Uriel announced.

Chihaya blinked as the news settled in. Hawaii? On Friday? Kagetsuya had said nothing about a trip, had in fact more or less expressed that he didn't want to leave Shinjuku anytime soon.

"I don't understand..."

Two objects -- plane tickets, he saw by the light of the monitor -- landed on the desk in front of him. He felt the comforting presence that was Kagetsuya behind him before the angel wrapped his arms around him.

"What is the meaning of this?" was his mate's simple query.

Uriel just grinned and shrugged. "Just thought you two might like a vacation. I'm down here on a little break, myself, so I said to myself, why don't I invite the two of you over? I know you loved it the Christmas we were all here for the gathering." Then, hopefully, "So? Gonna take me up on the offer?"

Chihaya tilted his head up to meet his lover's eyes, now azure from the glow of the computer. Kagetsuya's expression was unreadable and he seemed to be trying to keep from looking at the dark angel.

"You are risking so much even with this call," the angel said at last.

"As does Michael with his calls."

Chihaya paled, gaze snapping back to the figure on the monitor. Softly came the sharp intake of breath that was his partner's.

"No one knows but myself and Raphael," the archangel said quickly. "No one else will know."

"You cannot know that for sure, Uriel-sama. We can't let you run the risk of being caught having contact with us."

An amused smirk. "Oh, where's the fun in life without risks? Come on, Kagetsuya. I promise I'll protect you from those rabid Earthians from Hilton."¹

Chihaya snickered at the offhand remark. Behind him, the other angel gave a small cough.

"Ah hah! You're _smiling_, Kagetsuya-kun!" Uriel chuckled. "Now, tell me you're coming, you two."

"Kagetsuya?" the amethyst-eyed youth queried timidly when his mate didn't answer.

He felt his partner shift in what he suspected to be a shrug of surrender. "At least you've given us a few days' warning about this."

"Excellent! Excellent!" exclaimed the archangel. "Now help me kill time, will you, and let's talk."  


----------------------------------  
1: Banana bread/Hilton Hawaiian Village joke. From book 1's 'Christmas Summer.'


	9. Chapter 8: Hide and Seek

**

Chapter 8: Hide and Seek

**

Several days after Uriel's unexpected call, they were on a plane destined for Hawaii. Chihaya spent the traveling time alternately dozing and gazing with fascination out the window.

"All you see is clouds," his partner pointed out at one point. "And it's nothing you've ever seen when out flying."

All he did was shrug, give a vague answer about how it was never the same when looking out an airplane window, and turn his gaze back out to the skies. Kagetsuya shrugged and put his headphones back on, closing his eyes and trying to lose himself whatever random station he was tuned into.

Uriel met them when they arrived at Honolulu International Airport, greeting them both with customary leis and an "Aloha!". However, for all his enthusiasm, he seemed to be uncharacteristically jumpy. Kagetsuya frowned at this. From the way they chattered, Chihaya did not notice it, while Uriel made an attempt to ignore whatever it was that was bothering him. The blonde said nothing, guessing he would get some sort of evasive answer from the archangel; Uriel was much too good at doing that.

"You've only been to Kauai, right?" Uriel asked as they sped eastward on the freeway in a silver RX-7.¹ At the pair's nods, he grinned and continued, "Good! Then the two of you will have lots of fun here!"

Chihaya gave a small laugh as the Miracle Voice began listing activities and places of interest all over the island. Kagetsuya wrapped an arm around his partner as the amethyst-eyed angel yawned. There would be no sightseeing until they both got over their jet lag.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Uriel handed them an envelope. "The keycards for your room, thirty-five-sixteen. Oh, and take this up to my room, would you? It's thirty-five-fourteen, right next door. The rooms are adjoined so just walk right in."

As he pulled into the loading area of the Ala Moana Hotel, he held out a package wrapped in white paper. The teal-eyed angel took it, wondering where the archangel was still going to and voiced the question aloud.

"Ah, I gotta go take care of something," was the reply. "Park the car, too. Oh, and don't worry about your things. I'll take care of them, too."

With a sideways glance at the older angel, Kagetsuya got out of the vehicle, then turned to help his mate do the same and get the backpacks that were their carry-ons on their flight. He had not seen Uriel in the almost three years spent on Earth, but this was definitely not the archangel he knew then.

"Hey, you two." The Miracle Voice shot them a teasing, secretive grin. "'Surprise' in advance."

He was off before either of them could say a thing. The pair stared at the car as it disappeared into another street, both trying to make sense of those parting words. Then, after a shared glance and identical confused shrugs, they went inside the hotel and straight for the elevators.

It took a moment to get to the thirty-fifth floor, a few more to find their room. After dropping their things next to the bed, they went out on the balcony to see the view.

"Look, look, Kagetsuya!" Chihaya pointed to the tourist-filled Ala Moana Beach. There's a fair going on by the beach! Let's go see it later on!"

His partner chuckled, pressing kisses into his dark hair. "Not tired anymore, I see."

"Mm... Oh! Hey! Uriel-sama's package." He ducked out of his mate's grasp and into the room. "I'll get it."

Kagetsuya followed him inside, watching as the dark angel took the package from the bed and went to the door leading to the next room. When the knob didn't budge, the youth tilted his head questioningly.

"Locked?" the blonde questioned.

"Yeah. I guess we'll just hold it until he gets here."

Chihaya made to turn around, but stopped in mid-turn as the door opened. A confused expression painting his face, his gaze turned back to the entrance.

Eyes widening, he almost dropped the white-wrapped package in his arms. At that reaction, Kagetsuya was with him in a flash, alert and ready to defend his beloved angel from--

"......M--Michael-sama--?!"

Color slowly returning to his pale face, the archangel grinned sheepishly. "Long time, no see, you two."²

The three stared at each other for a few long moments, deep ocean-teal disbelieving, amethyst confused, and crystal blue filled with surprise. It was Chihaya who broke the awkward moment, throwing his arms around his adoptive father with a cry of joy.

Michael returned the embrace with equal enthusiasm. "I've missed the two of you, these past three years." Seeing that the other angel wouldn't make a move, he broke away from Chihaya hugged Kagetsuya. "And you, Kagetsuya. You, I truly haven't seen in ages."

"Michael-sama..."

He had always been wary of the communication between his partner and their former superior. Of course, he had trusted the archangel's word that the connection was completely secure and he was being the most careful he could be; he'd never had the heart to tell Chihaya to stop, anyway. So long as Michael was never in trouble for his secret calls, he uneasily agreed to them, even conversing with the blonde archangel from time to time.

Having Uriel contact them had come as a complete surprise, his having the knowledge of Michael's contacting Chihaya even more unexpected. Kagetsuya still didn't understand why he agreed fly to Hawaii to visit with the Miracle Voice.

But finding that Michael was here--was on Earth _at all_... He didn't know what to do, let alone what to say.

Seeing his confusion and apprehension as only those who had known him long enough could, the archangel released him and said quietly, "You don't have to worry about anything. There is no one assigned to Hawaii at the moment -- or any of the other Pacific islands, for that matter -- nor will anyone be for a while. I made sure of that before I left. The only other one of us here is Uriel and he's in on the whole thing." He allowed a small laugh. "In fact, he planned most of it."

"But--" he began to protest, but the archangel held up a hand to stop him from speaking.

"Besides, I'm trying something new."

Michael gestured for them to follow him and went back into his room. Set up on one of the beds was a console that looked similar to the Earthian laptops. A second sat beside the other bed, folded up and not in use -- probably Uriel's.

"I'm not quite on vacation," Michael confessed, pulling up several documents on the console. "While I'm here, I'm keeping track of Eden's investigators. I thought it would be interesting, staying among the Earthians for a bit while monitoring the angels currently assigned here. And paying surprise visits to them."

Heaving a sigh, Chihaya went to the sliding glass door. The other angels exchanged a look before Kagetsuya rose and went to him.

Michael had explained it months before, when the angelic investigations had begun for a second time. The Council on Eden had made the decision to restart them, to clear away the positive and negative points and do everything over. Students enrolled in the elite academy on Valhalla had begun to train again to be investigators on Earth.

Of course, that training was more rigorous than it had been when Kagetsuya and Chihaya, themselves, were at the academy. Screening and testing were more difficult to pass. Investigators had to be impartial in their judgments; anyone who felt strongly either way, whether the Earthians were positive or negative, of course did not make it far in their training. Test results no longer played so big a part in decisions of who to match into investigative pairs. Partners complimented each other, personalities and abilities playing off each other, so they got along well and one partner would be able to get and or keep the other out of trouble when the moment called for it. Michael and Raphael had personally taken it upon themselves to ensure that the chance of another incident was minimum.

"What are--" Chihaya fell silent for a moment and turned to the archangel. "What are the tallies right now?"

"Chihaya..." Kagetsuya began, but his mate waved him off.

Michael shot the dark angel a sympathetic look before typing in a command; they all knew how much the Earth and the Earthians meant to him. "Well... They're about the same at the moment." He shut down the console and closed it. "Come now, let's talk about something other than the probable fates of this planet, hm? How is your wing, Chihaya-kun?"

The youth clearly didn't want to let the previous subject go, but did anyway, understanding why the blonde wanted them to. "Ilyana-san said I may be able to fly as soon as a few months from now." He brightened considerably at the prospect of being able to take to the skies on his own again. "Kagetsuya's been helping me exercise it for the time being."²

"Oh, that's wonderful news!" The archangel grinned and clapped his hands together in elation. "Maybe I'll visit when you're able to fly."

"Planning our next vacation already, are we, Michael-sama?" The door opened and Uriel entered. "Your things should be coming up soon, you two. But leave off the unpacking for a while. With luck, I just might have one last surprise for you today."

"Ah, and here's our tour guide for this getaway," Michael teased, sharing a smile with his colleague.

"Oh, ho, but it was so much better than that fiasco that was the other option, wasn't it? So! Anyone for sightseeing or do we leave off for later? Hm? Chihaya? Kagetsuya?"

The teal-eyed angel met his partner's gaze. "Are you up to it?"

"Mmm..." The youth chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. "I just need a nap, that's all."

"All right, then." The Miracle Voice shooed them off to their own room. "Go get some beauty sleep. Michael and I have to talk, anyway. Work and the like. Very boring."

As he followed his partner into the adjoining room and shut the door, Kagetsuya wondered at the archangel's tone of voice. If he wasn't mistaken, there had been a tinge of worry in Uriel's tone. Shrugging and filing it away for later analyzing, he joined his mate on the bed, wrapping his arms around Chihaya and promptly falling asleep.

  
-------------------------------------------  
1: Silly reference. Kudos to anyone who can guess what it is.  
2: Referring to something I heard about Chihaya losing a wing once before and that these people -- the black-winged Earthian/angel half-breeds, I think -- healed it or regrew it or something. So, assuming they could do it again, they did.


	10. Chapter 9: Reflection

**

Chapter 9: Reflection

**

Uriel threw himself haphazardly on his bed and watched as the door to the adjoining room closed behind Kagetsuya. The Miracle Voice glanced at the other archangel, who was staring at the spot the two former investigators had occupied moments before. There was a faraway look in Michael's eyes, the kind he got when he was debating over something with himself.

"So," Uriel began conversationally, lying back with his arms pillowing his head. "You going to tell him yet?"

The blonde blinked, then turned his gaze to him. "Not yet," was the quiet answer.

Uriel glanced at him out of the corners of his eyes. "Not _yet?_ But why not?"

"I..." The Valhallan commander's crystal eyes were troubled. "I couldn't... I don't think he'd understand..."

Uriel closed his eyes. "Oh, Michael... Why wouldn't he? After all, he's... well, he's him."

Michael chuckled softly. "You just answered your own question, Uriel. That's exactly why I can't tell him."

"It'll haunt you until you do."

"Soon. I'll tell him soon, Uriel."

"You'd better. You've been keeping too many things to yourself lately, Michael-sama."

The angel gave a small start that would have gone unnoticed but for the fact that his companion had been watching him closely. "Mm-hmm..." was all he said.

Michael fell silent after that, with a small, almost inaudible sigh. He was sinking back into the gloomy mood Uriel had gotten familiar with recently. It only happened when he had far too much time to think, so the singer always made sure there were things for him to do. Already his mind was whirling, searching for a suitable activity to keep the other archangel busy.

"Well, since those two"--he gestured to the other room--"aren't up to going anywhere anytime soon, what say we go down to the mall?"

His companion turned a confused expression on him. "Why?"

A shrug. "Shop?"

"For what?"

Uriel fought the urge to slap his forehead in exasperation, instead giving another shrug. "Oh, gee, I don't know? Things you can bring back, maybe?"

'No, dolt, nothing about Eden!' he reminded himself a bit too late, and this time the urge to hit himself was even stronger.

They had both agreed that they would speak as little as possible of their planet, or even Valhalla, for that matter. He didn't call Michael's stay on Earth a vacation -- then again, neither did Michael -- with all the work he brought with him. Although he thought the idea of observing investigators from Earth itself a novel one, and with many possibilities, it wasn't the true reason for the commander of Valhalla's choice to travel there, and they both knew it. This particular method of supervising the angels on assignment wasn't sanctioned by anyone, as far as he knew. But, then again, as far as he knew, no one knew but himself, Michael, and now Kagetsuya and Chihaya.

"Besides," he added quickly. "It's a tourist spot. You're a tourist, aren't you?"

"Well, yes..."

"Come on, then!" He sat up. "I think this is the only place you haven't seen yet."

Of course, that was pure exaggeration. They had actually seen plenty in the three days they had been in Hawaii. Michael had been quite stubborn when he first arrived on Earth, those times he wanted to brood and Uriel tried to persuade him -- by much poking and prodding, and once or twice, half-joking threats -- to go out. The Miracle Voice thought of letting the subject go this time. He might have better luck later, anyway, with Kagetsuya and Chihaya more enthusiastic about gallivanting around the island. Or maybe just Chihaya, he amended with an inward smirk, while Kagetsuya would go along for the sheer fact that his mate was going. He wondered if Chihaya would have better luck than he was having at the moment in convincing Michael to go somewhere.

"All right, all right," Michael conceded, thoroughly surprising him. "I guess I need to get my mind off certain things, anyway."

Uriel stared at him as he offered a smile, then shook his head, giving a smile of his own. He would never figure out this superior of his. Although, it was much better when Michael was smiling, as was usual for him, and not moody. Moody, he did not know how to and did not want to deal with.

"Saa, shall we go, then?" he asked, hopping off his bed, congratulating himself silently at being able to get Michael out of whatever rut he was on the verge of falling into.

A nod and a grin that said the archangel knew his motives all along. "Let me just leave a note, in case the two wake up while we're gone."

The singer nodded and made a noncommittal gesture. "That's probably a good idea."

A faint nod, the other angel's grin never fading as he scribbled -- although with his handwriting, it was never 'scribbles' no matter how rushed his writing was -- hastily on a piece of paper. "Let's see... 'Have been kidnapped by Uriel. Don't follow on the consequence of torture by his singing.'"

Uriel made a face at him. "Watch it or you'll be the one under torture."

The other angel just laughed. "Come on, let's go."

Michael was in quite the mood now, for which his companion was glad. Although his spirits have dropped before for some reason Uriel did not have the heart to discuss with his friend, he still had no idea how to deal with the archangel when he wasn't being himself. Whatever it was that was bothering him was quite personal, he knew that, and had no wish to push the subject unless absolutely necessary. Even if he was not sure about what constituted 'absolutely necessary.'

As they wandered about the crowds of the Ala Moana Shopping Center for sometime over an hour, he noticed Michael adopt a contemplative manner underneath what he showed outwardly. Of course, he didn't think of it much, since it was still a better mood than in other times. At least he kept the angel from going deeper into his thoughts by pulling him into random stores to browse around. Even despite the looks he got from the store employees when 'random' meant a place like Louis Vuitton or some other high-end store.

After a while, Michael began to express wishes to return to the hotel. Unable to say anything to change his mind, Uriel agreed.

"One more store," he promised and his companion shrugged agreement.

That store ended up being the Body Shop. Michael detached himself from his friend to wander around. With a shrug, the singer watched him go to the back of the store.

He turned to the nearest shelf and busied himself with reading the labels of the scented candles arranged there. An employee or two came up to him and asked if he needed any help, to which he answered with a vaguely negative answer and a smile, then went off again. He had no real purpose in coming here, after all, except to stall for time. He moved on through the shelves as soon as he was done with the candles, deciding that he would leave either when Michael wanted to or when he ran into the other angel.

Michael was in the aromatherapy section, gazing thoughtfully at the array of products. A woman was beside him, explaining the various fragrances and the symptoms each was used for. The blonde was listening intently to her, nodding every so often in reply to what she was saying.

Smirking in amusement, Uriel plucked a bottle of lavender bath essence off one of the shelves and held it out to Michael. The angel looked at him in confusion while the Earthian smiled.

"Lavender," she explained, "helps with many things. Headaches, insomnia, depression, vertigo, stress relief. Add a few drops to your bath water and you're all set."

Uriel ignored his superior's unreadable expression. "I think we'll take a bottle," he told her, then, as an afterthought, took another bottle from a lower shelf. "This too."

Michael said nothing as the woman walked them to the cashier and rung up their purchase. 

"A penny for your thoughts, Michael-sama," the singer commented offhandedly as they headed back to the hotel, then chuckled at the strange expression the angel gave him. "An Earthian saying when one is a bit too quiet for quite a while."

"It's nothing, Uriel. Just letting my mind wander." A pause. "Why did you..."

His companion glanced sideways at him. "Because, Michael-sama, vacation or not, you need it."

Silence fell between them after that. When they entered the hotel, Uriel went past the elevators, instead making his way to the front desk.

"Any messages for room thirty-five-fourteen?" he asked the clerk on duty.

It took a moment for her to check. "Yes, sir, one. A Mr. Jansen invites you up for a drink."

"Up...?" he mused to himself after thanking her and leading Michael to the elevators. "Ah, I see." He punched the button for the thirty-fifth floor. "Aaron's."

"You're talking to yourself," his companion pointed out.

"Hm?" They stepped out when the elevator came to their floor. "I think it's called thinking aloud, Michael-sama. No, no, no. Out!"

Ignoring the blonde's frown, Uriel stopped him from entering their room. He propped the door open with a doorstop, tossing their things on his bed. There was another set of handwriting below the note Michael had written earlier, hastily scribbled down.

"Huh. What d'ya know."

"What? What is it?" questioned his superior as he went back into the hall. Then, indignantly, "And why aren't you letting me in?"

"To answer your first question, it looks like that son of yours has more energy than we credit him for. He and Kagetsuya have gone to that fair down by the beach." He took hold of Michael's arm and veered him back towards the elevator. "To answer your second, you're coming with me."

"But--"

"You're not getting any time with whatever demons are plaguing you, Michael. That's why you wanted to come here in the first place, remember. It's time I made good on my 'mission.'" He paused when the elevator arrived and he took the archangel with him, pushing the button for the top floor. "You've got to relax, you know. Or all this trouble will be for nothing."

The angel remained silent, blue eyes focused on the floor.

"In any case, if we're lucky, Jansen's here because the place is ready. No more traipsing about around here. And anyway, this won't take long."

His companion made a noncommittal noise in his throat and shrugged. If he was going to say something, he was interrupted by the ding of the electronic bell sounding their arrival. As the doors opened, a blast of cold air hit them both. The tinted, ceiling-to-floor windows and dim lighting of Aaron's gave the effect that it was nearing dusk. The blaze of the Hawaiian afternoon sun was muted, yet illuminated the beautiful view of the city. Michael left the singer's side, heading past the bar to the far windows to admire Honolulu from above.

There was quite a crowd present, but Uriel easily spotted Jansen standing at the windows opposite the direction the other archangel had taken. The sunlight gave his unruly, chestnut hair highlights of muted gold and made his jade-colored eyes flare.

"Is it safe for me to presume that everything's ready?" the angel inquired as he approached.

The man nodded. "You could go to the house today -- hell, right now -- if you want to."

He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Why didn't you just leave a message for me?"

"Well..." A shrug and a small smile. "Needed a drink and a way to pass the time away. In any case, I ought to be going now. Gotta go back and make sure no one screws anything up. See ya."

Uriel gave a small wave as the Earthian left. Scanning the place for Michael, he found the archangel still glued to the same window. An amused smile playing upon his lips, he decided against getting him and going back to the room. Instead, he settled for going over to the bar, taking an empty seat with a sigh.

"Margarita," he told the tender on a whim.

As he waited for his drink, he let his mind wander. He had acquired a property in Hawaii Kai the year before. He'd toured Hawaii every time he visited Earth -- since the meeting on Kauai that one Christmas -- never tiring of the island scenery and the things to do. Of course, he'd never really had any use for the place before. He must have even regretted getting it once or twice in the past -- or, at least, cursed his choice to be in the middle of Earthian suburbs; he loved the Earth, but its people... well, they were something else completely. But now, with Michael visiting and Kagetsuya and Chihaya persuaded to a vacation, the house wouldn't be catching dust anymore.

Uriel barely blinked when the margarita was presented him, taking an idle sip as he glanced briefly at the archangel at the window. Michael's expression was unreadable, but his bright crystal eyes flickered in fascination.

He swallowed a curse and stifled a start when his gaze lowered to the reflective surface of the bar counter. Slowly, very slowly, did he turn his pale brown eyes to meet a very familiar pair of stormy gray ones.

"You're definitely _not_ the type of person I'd expect at a bar," he muttered, giving a lopsided grin, "Raphael-sama."

Amusement flashed across those dark orbs. "I might say the same thing about you."

"In fact," the singer lowered his voice to a quiet murmur meant only for the other's ears, "one would wonder why you're on Earth at all."

"One would," the archangel agreed. "I have reason to believe Michael's here."

Surprise came easy to Uriel's expression. "Oh? Really, now? And do you think..."

"That you know where he is?"

"Earth is a big place, Raphael, and the Earthians are many." He glanced to the subject of their talk, who had not noticed anything but the view, let alone their little exchange. "He could be anywhere."

The other's expression didn't waver. "But there are quite a few places where our investigators aren't stationed. You must have some idea where he could be."

Uriel focused back on his drink. "I may."

A brief flash of irritation that quickly passed. "You may?"

"If he came to Earth, maybe he doesn't want to be found."

"Nevertheless, it wasn't sanctioned. Caused quite a stir back home."

"So I've heard."

"Look." An exasperated sigh. "If you know anything, please tell me. Please, Uriel." Then, quietly, "Everyone's worried about him. I'm-- We're afraid someone might start a rumor that he's -- dead. If such talk..."

Raphael's voice faded into a barely audible, sharp intake of breath. The Miracle Voice glanced at him, wondering why he trailed off suddenly.

Bright blue the color of a crystalline lake met the dark shades of a stormy sky. No escape route available, Michael tore his gaze away and closed his eyes, wishing he was lost in the freedom of the skies beyond.


	11. Chapter 10: Unexpected

**

Chapter 10: Unexpected

**

Raphael went still, transfixed by the crystal blue gaze that met his in the window. 'It's you...' he thought dumbly. 'It's...you...'

A million emotions, most of them going unnamed, stormed within him. The foremost one was relief, although he wasn't quite sure why. He had known Michael would be safe, especially since he suspected the archangel might have at least met with Uriel, if not stayed with him. And it wasn't as if Michael would do anything rash; he just wasn't like that. The brief time spent on the planet those few years before and the supervising of the investigations gave them enough information on the dangers posed to angels on Earth. It was some irrational fear, Raphael decided, that he had kept subconsciously, a result of Michael's sudden disappearance.

"Raphael...?" Uriel ventured, but his voice seemed to come from far away.

The singer turned his head, following his companion's gaze, and stiffened the moment he saw what -- or rather, who -- the archangel was looking at. Raphael noted this small change in the angel's posture, but didn't avert his eyes from the enchanting, blue gaze they currently held; he had already heavily suspected Uriel's involvement in the whole thing, anyway.

Surprise registered in Michael's eyes and, if he wasn't mistaken, perhaps even a tiny bit of fear. But for what exactly, he didn't know. Of being found out, maybe? And by him, no less. It was the only plausible explanation in his mind at the moment. Then the archangel closed his eyes, hiding those crystal blue orbs that betrayed his every emotion, breaking the spell he'd unknowingly cast on the dusk-eyed angel. Raphael felt himself relax, breathed out a sigh, startled by the fact that he did so; he hadn't been aware of holding his breath, nor did he feel himself stiffen, poised at the edge of his chair to rise.

"So now you know."

He stood, glancing at Uriel as he did so. "I do."

"You gonna talk to him?"

Raphael frowned inwardly at the tones underlying the question. "Of course."

"You won't get much from him..."

He was perfectly aware of that, and his gaze told the other archangel so. Surprisingly, however, the singer didn't attempt to delay him further, only watched with a faintly curious glint in his pale eyes for a moment. Then Uriel, clearly looking like he had a million questions to ask, shrugged and turned to face the bar again, going back to his drink and saying nothing.

Raphael strode to Michael's side, his hold on a calm posture tenuous. The angel didn't turn, nor did he open his eyes, but a second's flash of expression said that he knew who was coming. Michael stood rigidly, refusing to acknowledge his partner's presence, the curves of his lips pressed into a thin line.

The archangel laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Michael-sama," he murmured simply, schooling his voice to a neutral tone that he allowed to show a faint hint of relief.

Still the saffron-haired angel didn't move.

"To say everyone was worried about you would be an understatement," he continued. "Perhaps even a lie. Even now, extensive searches are still being conducted. And a whole list of rumors has followed the wake of your disappearance."

Slowly, the pale curtains of Michael's eyelids rose, unveiling the beautiful, crystal blue orbs they'd hidden. He said nothing, however, but a faint accusation was a shadow in his eyes.

"You said not to follow." The angel inclined his head a fraction and he sighed. "If you don't forgive me for that, Michael, I understand. But _you_ have to understand, I _had_ to search for you. Even knowing you were safe, I..."

He trailed off, suddenly realizing he didn't have any idea what to say. Or maybe he was afraid of what he would have said had he gone on, whispered a traitorous voice in his mind. He pushed the thought away. The faintest question in Michael's eyes told him that an answer was expected of him.

"Did you think it would be _easy_ to leave just like that, Michael?"

He allowed a little anger to show in his voice, still managing to keep his tone low. Which was too much, apparently, for the look in the other archangel's eyes indicated he would have drawn back had he not also been exercising an immense amount of self-control.

"Are you even _aware_ of the repercussions of your disappearance?" he continued. "The only reason I didn't inform anyone of what I knew is because--"

He paused, frowned, forced it away. What had he been about to say? His companion still remained silent, his expression guarded, his eyes betraying none of his thoughts. Raphael managed to keep his irritation at the angel's lack of response from showing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, organizing his scrambled thoughts into some semblance of order before once again meeting Michael's gaze.

"...Because even if you can't trust me to stay put with everyone else and worry over where you are and what's happening to you and if you're even still _alive_, you can still trust me to keep the details a secret," he finished softly.

Michael blinked at him in surprise. Obviously, he hadn't expected a statement like that. The dusk-eyed angel fought the urge to grab his partner's shoulders and shake him until he yelled, berated him -- _anything_. Now he understood what Uriel hadn't said.

It made him wonder what the singer really knew.

He watched as a whole range of emotion flashed across his companion's face in the space of a few seconds. _Finally_, some indication that he wasn't talking to a _wall_. Of course, Michael had never hid his thoughts successfully for too long -- it just wasn't in him. That, Raphael had always reasoned, was why he'd developed such a knack for hiding. From several experiences, the dark-eyed angel learned that if Michael hid -- truly hid -- no one would find him unless he intended for them to do so.

'Like now, perhaps...' he mused.

But something wasn't right. In the note to his partner, the blonde had made it crystal clear that he did _not_ want to be found. So what had been the tiny writing at the bottom of the paper? Had it been anyone else, Raphael would have reasoned that the note was written the way it had in case anyone else got his or her hands on it. The type of subtlety he knew Michael never bothered with. And, if anything was to be indication that his presence was unexpected, it was the reaction his appearance elicited.

There was only one person who had the answers he sought.

"Michael, you're going to have to talk to me sometime."

A pained expression crossed his superior's face. He was right and they both knew it.

They gazed at each other wordlessly for a moment, before the blond lowered his eyes. "Leave me alone, Raphael," he whispered, nearly inaudible. "Just leave me alone."

"No. No, I won't leave you alone. We have to talk. And God help us both, we have a _lot_ to discuss."

Michael gave a start, gaze sharply shifting to meet his.

"Oi, oi," a voice cut across whatever reply the other archangel would have made. "You two enjoying this little lover's spat? I don't--"

The singer fell silent as they faced him, their expressions identical. Uriel glanced from one to the other, blinking in surprise, the remark he was about to make dying on his lips. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn his words had hit the mark. Taking in the stricken looks in the angels' eyes, he half wondered if it had been a good idea to step in. He'd been covertly watching them both since Raphael had left to talk to his partner. Not without a little bit of guilt, of course, but that couldn't be helped.

Michael was the first to recover from his shock and, taking full advantage of the interruption, left his companions in one moment and was at the entrance in the next. He disappeared into a group of incoming patrons before either of them could so much as blink. Raphael made to follow, but the Miracle Voice barred his way. For a few seconds, those storm-dark eyes bore into his, but he gazed back passively, maintaining his position. In between two tables, with the window at his back, there was no room to sidestep the singer.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you planned that, Uriel," the dark-eyed angel muttered, his voice even.

"I don't think you'd believe me, but no," was the reply. "I actually didn't."

Raphael made one more attempt to go after his partner, to which the other angel moved to block his way once more. "Stop it, let me go. I have to follow him."

"And I suppose you know where he'll go, hm?"

That stopped him. "And I suppose you do," he returned.

"I may."

"Let's not start that again."

"Agreed." Uriel gestured for him to sit in one of the nearby chairs, only taking a seat himself when the angel did so. "Let Michael be for a bit. Let him calm down. Then maybe we'll see if I know where he's gone. But in the meantime... We're going to have a little talk."

+ + + + +

Kagetsuya watched as his lover wandered down the stretch of beach ahead of him, the tiniest semblance of a smile hovering upon his lips. The violet-haired angel could fit in anywhere they went in mere moments. As it was, the youth had already made several friends in the space of the fifteen minutes they'd already spent walking the sands of Ala Moana among the tourists.

Chihaya stopped suddenly and, in the same action he used to regain his balance, knelt down and helped a toddler who couldn't have been older than two stand steadily in the warm sand. The blonde angel watched as the young woman behind the child, presumably his mother, smiled at the youth in gratitude. Chihaya picked the little boy up and made faces at him, making him giggle, before handing him to the woman.

"He's really adorable," the blond angel heard his partner comment cheerfully to the Earthian.

"Thank you." She cooed at the toddler and kissed his cheek. "Such a handful sometimes, but that's how babies are, hm?" Shifting her child's weight in her arms, she gave the youth a grin before starting off again. "Nice meeting you."

"You, too!" he replied with a wave before turning to his mate. "Ne, Kagetsuya, do you think Uriel-sama and Michael-sama are back yet? We should all go out and do something, the four of us."

The taller angel smiled as he slung an arm around Chihaya's shoulders and steered them both in the general direction of their hotel. "And to think you were jet-lagged a couple of hours ago."

"But I'm all right now!" was the youth's cheerful reply, violet eyes twinkling as he gave the other a sideways glance. "Hey, you know, I overheard these girls saying that Waikiki had these really nice shops. Elvira's birthday is coming up, isn't it? Why don't we get her something? You think Uriel will take us around Waikiki later, Kagetsuya?"

The dark angel chattered on happily the rest of the way back to the hotel -- all the way to their room, for that matter. Kagetsuya was content to listen and let his mate talk on, wondering not for the first time how he ever deserved this beautiful creature's love and affection.

"I want to open the door!"

Shaking his head, the elder angel fished the keycard from his pocket and handed it over to his partner. His loving amusement never seemed to cease when he was with Chihaya.

Not that he wanted it to.

"Ah, Michael-sama! You're back!" the amethyst-eyed youth literally bounced into the hotel room at the sight of his adoptive father. "Is Uriel-sama in the other room?"

There was a silence that stretched for several heartbeats before the archangel on the balcony turned to face them, a ghost of his ever-present smile on his lips. His expression was withdrawn, Kagetsuya noticed, a look that didn't seem right on his features.

Chihaya immediately left his mate's side for the balcony, knowing that the elder angel would follow. "What is it, Michael-sama? Is something wrong? You look a little pale..."

Michael tried a reassuring smile. "I'm all right, Chihaya-kun."

Not even the dark angel was fooled by that reply. "Really?"

"No," the archangel replied after a moment, his smile genuine this time, even if it was a bit rueful. "Not really." A pause. "Raphael's here... I think he's still with Uriel........." He turned his gaze back to the sky, where it had been focused before the two angels had entered. "For some inexplicable reason I have yet to find out... Raphael has found me."


	12. Chapter 11: Aoi Kokoro

**

Chapter 11: Aoi Kokoro

**

"That's your third drink," Raphael pointed out as his companion returned from the bar.

Uriel merely chuckled and sipped at the pina colada in his hand, taking his seat beside the angel. "Unlike you, Raphael-sama, and most definitely unlike our dear Michael-sama, I can hold my liquor. I'd need three more before I even begin to get tipsy." He shook his head dismissively. "Besides, it's virgin. The others were, too."

The archangel made a noncommittal sound. "So, are we done talking yet?"

He smothered the small flash of irritation at Uriel's shake of the head. The singer had been right, of course. If he ever wanted a chance to talk to Michael, he would have to wait until his partner had calmed down enough and recovered from his shock. Otherwise, the conversation would once again turn out one-sided, whatever barrier between them would soar higher than before, and they would get absolutely nowhere.

Raphael gazed speculatively at his companion. How much did Uriel know about Michael's reasons for coming to Earth? From the way the singer acted, it didn't seem like he was privy to much. Of course, he could be hiding a burning curiosity beneath his flippant manner, not succumbing to it out of friendship, respect, and just plain courtesy for his superior.

But what if he knew about what was going on between the Valhallan commander and his second? Or rather, Raphael amended as he decided the singer couldn't possibly be aware of it, what if he found out? He could expect a reaction similar to what had happened when Kagetsuya and Chihaya's relationship had been found out.

Then he stopped, blinked. 'There _isn't_ anything going on,' he told himself rather vehemently. 'You know very well there shouldn't -- _can't _-- be.'

"Raphael, are you even listening? And why are you frowning like that? Don't tell me my question offended you."

"Sorry," he muttered softly. "I was just thinking."

"Spacing out," Uriel corrected. "Geez, when's the last time _you've_ had a vacation? You and Michael are so much alike, I swear, working yourself ragged. Don't know how to take breaks and relax for a while."

"You're ranting, Uriel."

The Miracle Voice merely laughed. "You should have seen me submitting Michael-sama to one of my rants." His pale brown eyes acquired a wicked twinkle. "What if I rant in song? Would that be better?"

Raphael rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Just get back to your question, would you?"

"All right, all right. I asked you how you figured out where Michael would be. Out of curiosity, you know?"

"Ah. That. He left a letter for me at Valhalla."

The singer nodded. "Yes, I know. In fact, writing it had been a tiny delay. Bugged him endlessly to hurry it up, but he said he had to do it. Can't understand why in the world, though."

There was no question whatsoever in that last statement, so Raphael volunteered no answer. Michael had _insisted_ on writing the letter? If so, maybe that code at the bottom of the paper _had_ been put there by him on purpose. With an inward frown, he realized that he didn't believe any of that. It wasn't like Michael to do such a thing.

"Now you're pretty damn close to scowling. You don't think nice thoughts a lot, do you, Raphael?" Uriel teased.

"Sorry, he apologized again.

"Anyway, continue."

"Hm? Oh. There's not much more to say. He'd left somewhat of a clue at the bottom of the paper. All it took was a little deciphering." 'That took over two weeks to figure out,' he added silently to himself before continuing, "It's obvious he wouldn't go where any of our investigative pairs are stationed, so that narrowed down the places on Earth where he could be a great amount. Hawaii was one of them. I knew your country-hopping would bring you here since you'd been all but babbling about your plans before you left"--here, Uriel flushed and gave a tiny smile--"and I decided to check with you first. It's just my luck that Michael's here with you."

The other gave a slight nod. "I see," he said simply, the beginnings of an enigmatic smile forming on his lips.

"What are you so amused about?" Raphael muttered rather crossly.

"The idea of convincing you to stay," was the reply. "Since you're here, you might as well take a break, too."

Dusk-sky eyes registered faint surprise. "I'm afraid that would be impossible. I'm only here to try to convince Michael to return -- or at least let Eden know where he is. Actually, the only reason I was permitted to take a break was because the twins had managed to convince everyone that they'd take care of everything. And no one but the two of them and my wife knows I'm here on Earth. Gabrielle's covering for me, but she can't do it for too long."¹

The singer wrinkled his nose. "And I suppose the two of you are going to get back to business? Workaholics. Come on, Raphael, two days. Maybe three. You need to relax just as much as Micha-- All right, you don't seem as stressed as he is, but you _do_ need a break."

He didn't trail off, but it seemed as if he'd left something unsaid. Raphael waited for him to offer something, but all the angel did was drink his pina colada. However, it did seem like the singer was contemplating on how to say something.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nn?" Uriel blinked, an unreadable expression crossing his features as he put down his drink.. "Oh. Just thinking. It won't be easy convincing Michael to go back, you know. Not that I've tried, of course, seeing as I think it'd be so much better if he relieves at least _some_ of his stress, but..." He fell silent with a shrug.

"But?" the dark-eyed angel prodded. What was he not mentioning?

"The one thing he's determined to do is make a confession to a certain someone. Been burning in him for years, I'd say. I don't think he'd leave unless he's at least accomplished that."

His tone suggested that Raphael should have known what he was talking about. The archangel stiffened, all emotion draining from his face, causing his companion to gaze at him quizzically.

"Is something wrong, Raphael-sama?"

"Ah-- no. No, it's nothing. Just thinking about something."

"What unpleasant things run through that mind of yours, Luftgeist," Uriel laughed, using his companion's nickname from their school days. "You should really learn how to lighten up."

"You may be right-- Schweigen."² The two of them exchanged reminiscent grins before he became serious once more. "So, are you going to show me where Michael is?"

The singer opened his mouth to replay when there was the unmistakable cell phone version of Mozart's Symphony 40, making him jump. "Agh, I'm giving this thing back to Jansen the first chance I get. Could you hang on a minute, Raphael?"

"Aa."

With a grateful smile, Uriel took the phone from his pocket and answered the call, switching to English. "H'llo?"

" 'Sup, Uriel," a girl's voice came over the receiver.

"Natsuko."

"Yeh. Now ya stop callin' me 'Summer,' eh? My bradda wen' tell me to give you one booty call, so I did. Ya want me t'haul my ass ova' dere now?"

"Really wish you'd stop talking like that."

"Yah, well, what pisses of the 'rents, ah?"

The angel rolled his eyes. "I wonder if I was like you when I was sixteen."

"Bah. Betta' be happy my Japanee side no let me call you one old fut."

"Anyway, I'll have to discuss it with my companions. Can I call you back later?"

"I was tinkin' a' goin' flyin' laters. Test out the Lancer."

"Shouldn't 'go flyin',' either."

"Ho, man, you so da kine, you know dat? Remin' me of my fadda'." She chuckled. "Yah, yah, jus' call when you people decided wat you goin' do, den, 'kay?"

"You know, maybe next time, we should just talk like this," he told her in German, earning a raised eyebrow from Raphael, to which he just grinned.

"Tch. Ruin all my fun, why don't you, Uriel?" she replied in the same language.

"That's what I do," he laughed. "Phone you later."

In English: "Yeah, whatever."³

She hung up and he put the phone back in his pocket before glancing at Raphael. "So, shall we go now?" he asked simply.

"Aa."

+ + + + +

"Michael-sama?" Chihaya ventured, amethyst eyes radiating confusion. "I don't understand."

The archangel sighed and turned to the two angels beside him. They had identical expressions of worry on their faces. There was no way for him to avoid telling them the truth now.

"No one's supposed to know I'm here but Uriel and the two of you. I... Well, you could say I left Eden unauthorized..."

The two stared at him in shock. He offered them a small smile, not knowing what he could say. He'd expected them to react that way, but seeing them actually do so made him wince. He hadn't wanted to tell them the nature of his visit, but it was necessary.

"Really?" the violet-haired youth asked. "But... how?"

Now, _that_, he didn't know how to explain. He had to think, he'd reasoned before, but now... Now what? During the weeks after Raphael... He shook his head to clear his head of those thoughts. Those weeks after, he'd conversed with Uriel a few times. The singer had noted the change in him -- who wouldn't have? -- and had suggested a vacation. He guessed the rest came after that.

"Uriel fibbed," he aid finally. "He's here training a batch of potential investigators, not on vacation. They're on observational assignments in North America at the moment, to test the pairs, which explains why he's not with them and they're not here. He watches over them, though, keeps contact through the laptops. Unofficially, I'm assisting him. Officially..." He closed his eyes and was silent for a few moments before looking once more to the two angels. "Officially, I'm a missing person on Eden."

"Oh..." It was the only thing Chihaya could say.

He nodded slowly.

"You left Eden," Kagetsuya finally spoke. "Why?"

"It's... complicated... I can't tell you two at the moment. I'll have to explain it later."

The angel looked like he wanted to say more, but apparently thought the better of it and instead gave a small nod. "All right."

And that was that. Michael vowed silently to explain everything to them when the whole mess had been worked out. They at least deserved to know, after all.

"I'm sorry," he murmured to them.

"It's okay, Michael-sama!" Chihaya's sunny smile returned. "I hope you solve all you problems really quick. It's not right when you don't smile. Ne, Kagetsuya?"

His mate blinked at him, then gazed at the archangel, a faint smile -- amused at Chihaya and reassuring for Michael -- ghosting over his lips. "Right."

"See, Michael-sama? Cheer up! Now, is Uriel-sama in the other room? I was thinking maybe we go around Waikiki and wander or something. I wanted to ask him if he could show us around."

"He's with Raphael at the moment, as far as I know. Upstairs, probably."

"Oh, really? Well, I guess it'll have to wait until he gets back."

As if his statement was to portend it, there was a knock on the door to the other room before it opened and Uriel himself entered. "Michael-sama? Are you in here?"

Another figure followed him in, one that was unmistakably...

"Raphael-sama!" Before anyone could so much as blink, Chihaya was inside and rushed to hug the tall archangel. "Long time, no see! Michael-sama said you were here, too."

At the mention of his partner, Raphael's dusky gaze found Michael's blue. All the blonde did was offer him a welcoming grin, trying to ignore the way his heart was pounding against his ribs.

"Good afternoon, Raphael."

  
-----------------------------------------  
1: Raphael-sama's referring to Zadkiel and Zaphkiel. Two more conveniently placed archangels in Eden's hierarchy. Actually, in biblical references, only Zadkiel is one of those thought to be an archangel. They both are, however, the archangel Michael's two chieftains in the war against Lucifer.  
2: Luftgeist is German for "sylph." (The archangel Raphael has dominion over the air and so the sylphs -- air elementals -- are associated with him.) Schweigen is German for "silence." The archangel Uriel is associated with gnomes (earth elementals.) I couldn't find a good name, so I decided to put in a dumb pun.  
3: Pidgin. Or Hawaiian Creole, if you like. It was rather awkward writing it, as I don't know how to spell using it. And about the German thing. Natsuko's a linguist-hopeful. As for Uriel -- actually, this also applies to the other angels -- I got the impression those who travel to Earth for investigations have at least rudimentary knowledge of some of the languages. Seeing as Kagetsuya and Chihaya had been to the US (manga book 1), China, England, and whatnot... Realistically, not everyone in the world knows Japanese, so... yeah. But that's how I figure it...


	13. Chapter 12: Bird of Paradise

**

Chapter 12: Bird of Paradise

**

The garden was nothing like the extensive ones on Michael's Eden estate or the ones that ringed his office building at the Valhalla academy, but they were beautiful in their own right, for the tropical climate allowed a variety of flowers to grow. Roses were predominant, a multitude of colors and sizes. There were even quite a few of the type with the two-colored petals. He liked those the most, especially the red-splashed yellow ones, which even now seemed like small fires under the artificial glow of the patio lights. It was too bad that those particular varieties could not be found on Eden. Neither could they be transplanted there, as he'd found out the last time he had been to Earth, when he took back a few cuttings only to have them not take to the soil back home. He wondered if Uriel had had them planted in the garden because the singer knew his like for them. Barring sakura trees -- replaced here, he suspected, by plumeria trees with deep red blooms -- the garden's organization had a touch of Eden, slightly resembling the layout of flora found at Valhalla. A home away from home, of a sort, as if the lot had been taken from Eden and put here.

On the other hand, perhaps it wouldn't be as heartening to others as he thought it was. After all, it was also a reminder of how far they were away from home. As much as they loved Earth for its beauty, as many similarities it had with Eden, it simply was not home. He felt a pang of homesickness then, as had never happened since he'd arrived, and wondered for a moment if he should give in to Raphael's entreaties to return. Coming had not helped him come up with any solutions to his problems, as he would have liked, anyway. Really, he only stayed because Uriel had managed to persuade him to. Then there was the fact that he wanted to see Kagetsuya and Chihaya again, not through Eden-Earth contact, but personally. He respected the edict of banishment against them, but by God, he missed them. And since he was most likely breaking a few rules, himself, what was one more? Besides, as Uriel had pointed out, the two had not been classified as lucifers.

Speaking of which, he worried about Uriel. They were friends, true, going back to their academy days. But the singer had been enthusiastic about his coming to Earth, unofficial and probably prohibited as it was, and eager to get Kagetsuya and Chihaya along with them. Originally, Michael had planned to go along with Uriel to Earth, then leave as soon as they arrived, but somehow along the way, Uriel had managed to convince him to stay and that it was truly all right. Michael doubted that latter part, but went along, anyway; the singer could be incredibly stubborn when he wanted. However, he worried about what would happen if it was found that Uriel had been a part of Michael's disappearance from Eden. Or even that he had knowledge of the archangel's whereabouts and had not informed anyone. They both knew that Michael could not leave so easily, even if it was an authorized absence -- which he didn't want, considering, well, that people would _know_ -- and, as it was officially a missing persons case, the Miracle Voice's silence could be punished. Uriel had, of course, laughed and said no one would ever know, a rather conspiratorial glint in his eyes.

Sometimes, Michael wondered about him.

A knock at his door. "Michael?"

He didn't mean to freeze at the voice. Though, after their last argument ending rather badly, he hadn't expected to hear it, either. He forced himself to relax, then called out that the door was open. Against his better judgment, mind bringing up that last argument again. Of course, better judgment had also told him to drop the issues between them -- again -- that day Raphael had discovered his communications with Chihaya, but he found he rarely ever listened to it.

Still, he turned and greeted the archangel with an, "It's been so quiet, I thought you'd gone with them, Raphael."

"Don't think I would have the energy to keep up today."

Uriel, he had found out when the his colleague came into the hotel room that afternoon with Raphael in tow, had gotten word that the house he had been all but babbling about was ready. Michael, made curious by the Miracle Voice's choice of semi-constant topic, wanted to go immediately. No one had dissented, Uriel also wanting to go and their three companions agreeing to the change in plans because they did not know about the house. So they did, Raphael and Uriel taking the latter's car while he, Kagetsuya, and Chihaya rode with an acquaintance -- a sister of the contact he had about the house, Uriel explained -- who came to help with the transportation.

No sooner did they arrive at the spacious four-bedroom house did Uriel whisk away Kagetsuya and Chihaya at the dark angel's request. Michael had gone ahead to the second floor and chose a bedroom to claim as his own during his stay on Earth. When his son had knocked, asking if he would like to join them, he gave polite refusal, wanting to be alone with his thoughts for a while. Oddly, Uriel had not come up to persuade him into coming along.

It had not crossed Michael's mind that his partner might also decide to stay.

A smile came easily to his lips, though it may have just been something out of habit. "No, I suppose there isn't anyone who can put up with the combined enthusiasm of Uriel and Chihaya, hm? And for a few hours straight, at that. I feel a little sorry for Kagetsuya. They're not likely to be back for a couple more hours yet. But then again, perhaps he's used to the excitement."

"Michael."

Raphael rarely used his 'business' tone with his superior, and managed to surprise Michael every time. Now was no exception, the smile fading just a bit from Michael's lips, his eyes widening slightly before he got hold of himself and shook the reaction away. They both knew that when it came to serious matters, the dark-eyed archangel was never one to waste time, and what hung between them in the silence that followed was definitely not something to take lightly.

"I'm not going," Michael murmured, wondering if he was imagining the faint, resigned tone that contradicted the stubbornness of the statement.

The other angel appeared not to hear it. "That's not why I'm here and you know it, Michael-sama."

Ah, so it was to the point where they were going back to honorifics. If Raphael had been serious before when trying to talk with him, he was unable to describe the situation now. It hurt a little, that they were reverting to the protocol they made a habit of discarding around each other. But his companion was right. He had known why the archangel had come and had tried to stop the attempt before it began, though it was clear how successful he was at that.

"I'm resigning."

He managed to stun even himself and suspected his expression would have matched the surprised one on Raphael's face exactly had he not strained to keep himself in check. The thought had managed to bypass his consciousness. However, he managed to pick up the truth in his own words. He _had_ thought about it once or twice, even before everything happened, though he had always dismissed the idea in the past. While he might not necessarily be serious about it this time either, there was still that faint thought that remained.

"Michael-sama--"

He cut his companion off with a swift gesture, turning around to look out the window again and attempting to focus on picking out the plants in the darkness; anger rose then, not at Raphael, not at the current situation, but at things older, that he had always pushed away before. "I'm tired, Raphael. Of being 'Michael-sama.' Of having to deal with the hierarchy and the random, annoying bureaucrat who comes up to the station thinking he's oh-so-clever, linking this problem and that issue with Valhalla, using convoluted reasoning _no one_ can hope to understand, and expecting us to drop our operations in favor of them. And our operations themselves, especially this big one, this judgment of the Earthians-- I'm sick of the training, the testing, the rivalry that continues despite our best efforts, the reports that all boil down to the same things every single time."

He closed his eyes. "I'm sick of seeing the academy. Do you realize how much it hasn't changed? It's so easy to remember what I would rather not, so hard to forget what I want. Somehow, I manage to start hating myself again, because I can't let the memories go and because of those memories themselves, then hating myself more for that fact."

Raphael had approached while he spoke, but he did not notice until he felt his second's hand on his shoulder. He promptly shrugged the contact away, knowing he wouldn't be able to continue if he did not do so.

"I'm tired of _hurting_, Raphael." At his sides, his hands curled into fists. "You know, when Kagetsuya first entered, I couldn't bear to look at him. He reminded me so much of -- of her. So tall and proud and absolutely beautiful, with that same flare in his eyes that she used to have, that could be frigid or searing and still you would be lost in it. Then after he... left... I would look at the sakura and sometimes wonder why he was not there, contemplating them, studying, socializing, or even fighting with Chihaya. The same way I used to wonder why it was him I always saw and not--"

So many years and he still could not bring himself to think of -- here, his mind balked at the name -- _her_ so easily. But memories died hard and that was an exceptional case. (1)

"And..." He turned, finally, and looked into the storm dark eyes of his companion. "And there's always you. You, Raphael, the only one who can hurt me by mere presence alone and the only one I cannot live without. And the worst thing is that I want to _hate_ you, for everything you make me feel, even the happiness, and I _can't_. Not because you haven't done anything to merit it, but because if I did, then I would be lost. But... but... oh, _God_..."

His breathing was harsh, as if he had run long and hard. Raphael said nothing, merely held his gaze, expressionless. Michael felt that useless desire he had mentioned, to hate the other angel and be done with it; it was a hate that refused to come into being. He pushed it away at once, hating himself instead. And when Raphael came nearer, closing up the space that existed between them, he did not move. Not even when the archangel's arms rose to enfold him.

With nothing further to fuel it, the anger passed, leaving him reeling in its wake. He ignored the voice inside that told him to move away, defying it instead as he leaned into the dark-eyed angel's embrace. His own arms wrapped around Raphael's body, hands fisting into the other's shirt, and they remained that way for a long while, until his breathing became less erratic and his heartbeat slowed to match his companion's.

"May I kiss you, Raphael?" he whispered into the silence.

He felt the other's body stiffen and pulled away. He had not meant to say anything out loud, but it had happened before he could stop it. Well, a part of his mind told him, Raphael's reaction was the sort that he should have expected anyway. Nothing had changed and it was useless to hope for otherwise.

"Oh, Michael." He looked up at the amusement in the other angel's voice and found Raphael to be smiling. "After the times you stole kisses from me, only now you think to ask?"

The angel pulled Michael close again and, without preamble, kissed him. The blonde did not react at first, startled by his second-in-command's actions to do anything. But he pulled his wits together in record time and kissed back. The fervor with which he did made his partner gasp, and he took the opportunity to push his tongue beyond the archangel's lips, deepening the kiss. Raphael's arms tightened around him, holding him as if he would never let go again.

It was Michael who pulled away first, though he was reluctant to do so. "Raphael...? What... what was..."

The archangel shrugged a shoulder and feigned a deferential manner. "You asked me a question, Michael-sama. I am, of course, obligated to answer."

He wasn't sure how to react to that, so he just stood there and stared. This brought back the memory of that night a few weeks before, when Raphael had come to his rooms and they almost-- He shook off the thought. Just like that time, the situation was utterly confusing. _Raphael_ was confusing. To refuse everything, then do something like this. Michael didn't know what to think anymore.

Then again, a corner of his mind whispered, the other angel was likely to be just as bewildered at his actions. Wasn't all this what he wanted? Then why did he refuse?

"Michael..."

Storm-colored eyes unreadable, the archangel took a step towards him. He was almost unconscious of the step he took back. He was surprised, for the most part, and part of him attempted to find a reason for his own action. So he did not realize that he had backed up, one step for each of his companion's, until his legs hit the bed. This threw him off balance and he sat down on the mattress abruptly.

"Why?" he murmured, though he wasn't sure whether he was addressing his partner or himself. 

Raphael closed what little space remained between them and leaned down so their faces were inches apart, arms on either side of the blonde. Michael gave a sharp intake of breath at his closeness, voice frozen so he could say nothing further. His hands rose to push Raphael away, but they disobeyed him and instead gripped at his shirt. It was a dizzying experience, having the other angel so close, gray-black eyes boring into his.

"I've been thinking a lot, ever since that day in the office." Raphael shifted his weight to one hand and raised the other to cup the blonde's cheek. "And I've decided."

"D... Decided?"

"Aa." He pressed his lips against his superior's in a chaste kiss. "I don't care about tomorrow."

It was a statement only the other angel seemed to understand. Michael wanted to say something, to ask what that was about. However, all he seemed able to concentrate on were the feather-light almost-kisses Raphael was teasing along his jaw, down his cheek, at the corners of his lips. Or on pulling the archangel closer so he could turn those almost-kisses into _real_ ones. Or on the fact that the temperature in the room had risen noticeably and was continuing to do so.

After a few moments -- or perhaps an eternity -- Raphael pulled away a little. They stared at each other for a long while, each of them catching his breath. Michael reached up and ghosted his fingers down the other's cheek, to his neck, then further down, along the expanse of skin the half-unbuttoned shirt revealed.

"I want you, Raphael," he murmured, absurdly afraid that someone else would hear his confession if it was any louder. "But... I..." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again. "Oh, God, how I could ruin us both..."

Raphael gave a soft smile, the expression almost offsetting the sadness in his dark eyes. He said nothing for a while, stopping Michael's wandering hand and bringing it to his lips.

"Only you," he declared in a whisper, breath ticking Michael's skin. "Only if it's you."

"...It's a sin..." But the last traces of resistance were fading.

"We..." A similar battle of emotion was being waged within the other archangel, before all trace of it banished with one swift decision. "Even if it's this one time, let us have it. And whatever happens after this, whatever happens tomorrow, let us not have any regrets."

"Raphael--"

"I love you."

Michael had never entertained the thought of hearing those words from Raphael. Not even during the past few weeks. He had not dared. And despite the fact that he was not likely to forget that exact moment, he was still having trouble believing his ears.

"I love you," the other angel repeated, as if reading his mind, or perhaps because he, too, could not believe that he had said it that first time. "Far more than I care for the law."

Raphael kissed him then, long and sweet and chaste. All of his emotion could not be conveyed by it, but it was enough. More than enough, even. Caught up in that sensation, caught up in returning the kiss with as much fervor, Michael did not notice when his partner's hand released his and slid down his body in one long caress to the hem of his pants.

He did notice, however, when fingers brushed against the growing hardness between his legs, still constrained by his clothes. Blue eyes he did not know he had closed in the first place flew open to meet gray ones, which were darkened now that they seemed almost black.

With a smile, very much liking the gasp the blonde had made just then, Raphael murmured, "I don't care about tomorrow."

Neither did Michael. He only cared that tomorrow would come.

----------------------------------------------  
Note: 1) Mmm... Yes... Longer chapter than is usual for this fic. Had to fit in a bunch of things. And, well, it was only what could be expected from angels this flighty. ^^;  
2) Obviously, they're already at the house at the beginning of this chapter. And, as mentioned, Uriel's out with Kagetsuya and Chihaya. Sorry about skipping the interval. During a rewrite, I got sick of that part and took it out entirely.  
-------  
1: The Michael-sama!Muse is angsting and refusing to let me mention her name, even in the footnotes. Sakura used to call her 'Lu,' and that's all I'm gonna say about it before he refuses to speak to me and leave the fic hanging forever.


	14. Chapter 13: Denouement

**

Chapter 13: Denouement

  
**

He did not open his eyes right away, merely lay there and savored the world around him. He had not awakened like this in a long time, to such peace. The warmth of the early Hawaiian summer morning was just enough to be comfortable. Sunlight filtered through the halfway open drapes along with a faint breeze that carried the scent of faraway rain.

Never mind that the light was streaming in at the wrong angle, from a point somewhere beyond his head when it should have been coming from his right. Never mind that he distinctly remembered shutting the window and drawing the drapes closed. Never mind that he was lying in the wrong direction anyway and a warm body lay beside his where, some groggy voice in the back of his mind told him, there definitely should not have been.

"Oh, God," he mumbled to himself. "I've woken up to a cliché."

He never would have expected the soft chuckle that answered him. It came from his left, where soft lips brushed just _there_, that sensitive spot right below his ear, and made him shiver. He almost was not aware of the hand that traced a feather-soft trail across his torso to thread fingers with those of his right hand.

"Good morning to you, too, Raphael."

Somehow, he found his voice and returned the greeting. "Good morning... Michael..."

And then they lay there again in silence, listening to the sounds of the morning, the whisper of the wind, chirping or trilling of birds greeting the day, the occasional hiss of air as a car passed down the street. Michael's breathing slowed again to the steady rhythm, happiness and content radiating from him. It almost made Raphael wish that they could remain like this for a long while.

Almost, because he knew it could not be so and was not one for foolish wishes.

'Except perhaps this,' he thought to himself, smiling at Michael as the archangel propped himself up on an elbow to look at him. 'But it came true, so maybe it wasn't so foolish, after all.'

"It's tomorrow," he murmured.

A smile. "I know."

"I should probably..."

The other's expression did not change. Then again, he did not expect it to. They had reconciled facts last night, about 'tomorrow' and all that would come after that. If there was any reluctance on either of their parts, Michael did not show it and he did not acknowledge it.

"I know," his partner repeated.

Partner. There was a word he thought he would not think the same of. Oddly enough, it did not change in any way. But he found that it was fitting, that the meaning he had placed on that word had been and was enough. Whatever that meaning was.

He rose, Michael pulling away from him as he did so. Then, poised to get out of the bed, he turned to his companion.

"I--"

"I know." The archangel sat up, pulled him close, placed one last kiss on his lips. "Go, before someone comes to check on us. Or before I decide I don't want to let you go."

No more words were exchanged after that. None had to be.

Raphael gathered his clothes and dressed before returning to his room to get a new outfit he could change into after a shower. He and Michael were the last to wake, he noticed, hearing strains of conversation from what was probably the dining room downstairs, light banter interrupted once in a while with laughter.

He had to smile, stopping at the stairs for a moment on his way to the bathroom. All things aside, he liked that he was able to see Kagetsuya and Chihaya once again. Three years was a long time and he had truly missed them. The dark angel had grown, still with that slender build that bordered on effeminate -- far more common with male angels, Raphael noticed, than with the Earthians -- but perhaps two or three inches taller, and was ever the cheerful optimist. Kagetsuya seemed to have softened a bit, though it might have only been Chihaya's presence that helped in that; the blonde was still possessed of his proud air though that probably stemmed more from his blood rather than his personality.

He would miss them come the time he had to leave. More so than before, sure that he would not be able to see them again. Rules were rules, after all. Technically, he was already breaking the no-contact one, but what could he do? He had not known the two would be here and even then, he could not have helped it. His priority had been -- still was -- Michael. However, he reminded himself, his partner and Uriel were still liable.

'I can't condone it,' he mused. 'There is no one but us to know. And no one coming here, the assigned already done with this area of the sector. Still...'

He shook his head. He was here for Michael, he told himself again. Should contact with the two banished angels be found out, he would have no choice to report, despite it being against two of his friends. But if nothing happened, he would say nothing, he decided.

He met Michael on the way down, the blonde presumably having used the shower in the master bedroom. The archangel flashed his usual sunny grin at him, running a hand through saffron-colored curls that were still somewhat wet. Raphael nodded a reply and joined him, following the sound of their housemates' voices to the dining room.

"There you two are!" Uriel was the first to greet them. "You see, Raphael, I've taught our dear Michael-sama the art of getting a _normal_ amount of sleep. Now all you have to do is make sure he doesn't sleep in."

"Normal, nothing. You know I get my sleep when I'm not backlogged with work," Michael protested with a laugh.

"Which is how often, again?" the singer countered with a grin of his own, then gestured for them to sit at the table. "Now get over here and eat. Kagetsuya volunteered his excellent culinary talents and whipped us up an English breakfast fit for the queen herself!"

Even Raphael had to smile over the angel's exaggerated flourishes. Sitting across the table next to his lover, Kagetsuya ducked his head in an attempt to hide the pink that lightly stained his cheeks. Still, as Chihaya had always written in his letters to Eden and as Uriel just proclaimed, the food was excellent. And varied as well, Belgian waffles, warm biscuits, eggs, ham, bacon, and an array of fruit. Raphael now saw what Chihaya meant when he said that his partner always went all out with his cooking.

"So, were you two all right here while we were gone?"

Raphael stiffened, glance going to Uriel, who had posed the question. Just at the edge of his vision, the storm-eyed angel saw Kagetsuya and Chihaya, dishes in hand -- they both offered to clean up, then rose and did it anyway amid protests that they should not be the ones to do so -- give a slight pause on their way into the adjoining kitchen. There was something in the singer's voice, a particularly suggestive tone that sent warning bells ringing in Raphael's mind. Sitting beside him, he could see that his partner had the same reaction.

Michael was quick enough that the pause before his answer was not too long. "Of course," he said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "Sorry we couldn't join you three. But it _was_ your fault for dragging me around beforehand and tiring me out."

Uriel looked like he wanted to say something, then decided against it. Raphael watched him carefully as he looked thoughtful, then made a face, then gave them a sheepish smile.

"Oh, hell, I can't dance around the point as well as you two can." Even without having to listen closely, Raphael picked up on the meaning hidden beneath those words. "I like blunt, so I'll do blunt. Jig's up, you two. We know."

To his credit, Michael did not miss a beat, despite the way he paled then. "Know? Know what?"

The singer wagged a finger at them. "Why, about the two of you, of course." Then, light brown gaze going to the swinging door that led to the kitchen, "Kagetsuya, Chihaya, would you be so kind as to escort our lady out here?"

There was a pause as the other two archangels turned to watch the door. Then one more as it swung open and still another as the two younger angels entered, followed by another. One that they all knew very well.

"May I present the mastermind behind it all," Uriel said, but he sounded as if he was far away.

"Gab...rielle...?"

Raphael stared at his wife, who bowed a greeting before taking a seat beside the Miracle Voice. "Good morning. Michael-sama, I trust Uriel's been showing you a good time while you were here?"

At a loss for words, Michael merely looked from one to the other blue eyes wide with surprise and maybe a little bit of fear. Raphael schooled his features to show nothing but a questioning look at the both of them.

"I suppose you could say," Gabrielle continued, giving the both of them a smile, "that you have me to thank, or blame, for this little getaway."

"You... you knew?" Raphael asked.

"Forgive me, dear, but yes. I did. If I told you, would you have come?"

He did not answer right away, pondering her question. He had kept in touch with her throughout the days following Michael's disappearance. Always had she been worried, eager for any news he might have for her. At least, that was what she had shown, while she already had the answers beneath her worried frowns. He had even showed her the letter once, a day or two into the searches for the missing archangel. Had she told him, _would_ he still have come down to Earth himself? Probably not, he decided. He was needed at Valhalla in his superior's stead, to keep the moon base in line and the operations running. Things had steadied in the couple of weeks after, which was why he had been able to leave as easy as he could.

"There are only a few people who know anything about this," Gabrielle answered his question before he could ask it. "And the only thing they know would be 'why.' Uriel and I know the details, nobody else."

"But why..." Michael finally spoke. "How..."

It was a moment or two before she answered. "I could say that I wanted the both of you to be happy and that would be the truth. But not the only one." She shared a look with Uriel. "Plainly speaking, we were using you."

Kagetsuya and Chihaya, Raphael noticed, looked unsurprised at what was transpiring. Perhaps Uriel had told them everything the night before, when they were out. It was the only time he could have. Still, they kept careful expressions of polite disinterest, unsure if they should leave or stay. If they knew, it did not matter much either way.

"We're participants in a debate, see," Uriel explained. "Within Eden's judiciary system. One of the things that came up, as it has time and again for many years, is a certain law. One for which a trial was held in recent times."

He had no need to elaborate on that and went on. "It's outdated, and very much so. It was designed to promote the improvement of the low angelic birth rate. But as you can see"--he shrugged a shoulder--"it's done nothing. We can't even say it's steadied the rate-- It still fluctuates from time to time.

"Most angels enter marriage more because society dictates it than to have children, some, like what would have happened with Kagetsuya, for political reasons, in his case to continue the royal line. Many of them do it because there is love between them and their partners, anyway. But whether or not it is of their choosing doesn't matter. In fact, there have been no connections between couples who produce children or those who don't. It's not love, nor any kind of compatibility anyone can come up with. It's just some biological luck of the draw, I guess.

"Anyway, about the law. The kids over here aren't the only ones who've broken it." He nodded to the two angels who had taken the seats on Gabrielle's other side, flashing a disarming smile at Kagetsuya, who had bristled at his choice of words. "They just had the unfortunate luck to get caught. But we know of others -- anonymously, of course. Still has to be kept secret, and a secret's not a secret if people who don't need to know, know, and we -- everyone in on the debate, of course -- don't so we don't ask. It doesn't really matter who they are anyway, just that their unions exist. And the birth rate? Because it's so important, connected to this law? Still the same."

"One would think this debate would be a popular one," Michael mused. "Why isn't it?"

"Oh, but it is. Workers, bureaucrats, some military. Even Sakura knows something of it. It's not some sort of secret, but no one advertises it, either. We only talk when someone asks. You're too busy with Valhalla and the investigations to notice, maybe."

"And where do we figure into this?"

"_The_ two to add to the list. Which we have a feeling will be presented pretty soon." Uriel held up a hand for silence before either could speak. "And because we really do want to see the two of you happy." He paused. "_And_, amusing though it is, we wanted you to stop acting like fledglings on the verge of their first mating season. After, what, twenty-some-odd years, it tends to get annoying."

"All right." The Valhallan commander looked thoughtful, pointedly ignoring his faint blush and, Raphael suspected, trying to hold back a smile. "Then how do you know what you're implying is true?"

The singer nodded to Gabrielle. "All yours. You answer."

"I arrived last night. I thought you'd all gone out since the house was so quiet and was going to head up, but I saw you, Raphael, in the upstairs hall. And where you went." She winked. "I decided to stay downstairs and wait for these three to come back from their gallivanting. Honestly, Uriel, even if you knew it wasn't safe to do so, would you still be breaking so many rules?"

"No." He was oddly gleeful. "And you're breaking them, too, now."

"Only because everything's covered. Even Michael's 'trip' here."

This caught both Raphael's and Michael's attentions. "What?"

The two shared another one of their looks before Gabrielle replied. "If there is ever a way to leave Eden's notice, it's definitely harder than this. Coming down here? It's unofficially authorized. We told you, there are people who know about this. Not where you are or who you're with, just that you're gone and you're safe. Those searches? The ones continued after Raphael stopped heading the searches, they've all been engineered. Actually, Michael-sama, since it's known on Valhalla that you had fallen ill that one week, we had that information circulate a little more -- after a few embellishments, of course -- and let people draw their conclusions. There's already a report prepared for when you return, detailing a retreat you had been ordered to take."

"You've..." Michael muttered, with an awed smile. "You've really planned for everything, haven't you?"

"Of course. I settle for nothing less. And, by the way, Uriel was wrong. You two are _far_ worse than fledglings."

---------------------------------------------------------------  
Note: This was hard. I don't think I can ever do it to the point that I'm completely satisfied with it, but I like it well enough now. Besides, I'm attached to Conniving!Gabrielle. (And Rambly!Uriel, too, while I'm at it.) The lovely, brilliant woman. And before anyone says anything, she does know. _Everyone_ knows, in fact, everyone and their dogs (or the Eden equivalent of dogs). It's kinda hard not to tell. (Personal view.) I just think since the two obviously aren't going to do anything, she'd be the one to get something happening. Got the impression that they're friends first and foremost, all of them, and, well, that's why. Don't think any of them could stand the far-too-complicated relationships they are all in otherwise. That, and the really horrible, immature fangirl in me likes to dangle the idea that Gabrielle-sama's a closet yaoi fan. (I'm kidding. X3 Amusing though the thought is.)


	15. Epilogue: Eden

**

Epilogue: Eden

  
**

Uriel managed to convince the archangels to stay one more day. No one knew exactly how he did it, but he did. But another was out of the question. They all agreed on that.

So it was that Michael was out on the patio in the back of the house, gazing up at the stars, playing a silent, idle guessing game on which was which. The star around which Eden orbited around was easiest to pick out, but then again, it probably was for all the angels.

"Chihaya will miss you."

He half-turned so he could smile at the figure at the sliding screen door. "And you, Kagetsuya?"

There was a slight pause before the angel gave a reluctant, "Me too."

Michael gestured to for the other to join him. He did not have to wait long before he heard the door slide open, then closed. Kagetsuya went to his side, gaze following his to the heavens above.

"Do you ever wish you could go back?"

"...Always."

"Would you?"

There was no hesitation this time. "I decided years ago. Home is not Eden. Or Earth. Whatever Chihaya would decide, I'll be with him."

A soft smile. "You love him a lot, don't you?"

"And then some."

Michael turned to him then, smile still on his lips, if a bit more subdued. He remembered his words to Raphael the night before, those concerning Kagetsuya. The young angel had grown, he thought again for what must have been the millionth time. Chihaya had called Kagetsuya beautiful, those years ago when they first met on the dark angel's first day at Valhalla. And beautiful he was, golden hair long and flowing when he wasn't in his Earthian disguise, green-blue eyes fiery, confident and proud. The exact image of someone Michael knew many years ago. Even, he imagined, down to the way they expressed themselves, their glares, their frowns, their smiles.

'She smiled a lot more, though,' he mused.

Out loud, he said, "Your mother would have loved to see you all grown up. She would have approved."

He saw Kagetsuya stiffen and wanted to laugh. It was the same manner in which his mother had expressed the mix of surprise and consternation.

"You knew my mother?" the younger angel asked.

There were several ways he could have answered that, so he opted for, "I'd like to think I knew my own sister."

The widening of those teal eyes meant only surprise this time. "Lu... Lucifer-sama?"

"You look just like her," he replied by way of affirmative. "Had you not been male, you could be her clone." He grinned. "If you want to know what she was like, just imagine yourself as female."

It was a moment before the corners of Kagetsuya's lips quirked up in a slight smile. "Michael-sama..." He trailed off, looked away, then back again. "If... I'm not hoping it'll happen, since that's more up Chihaya's alley, but... If I ever see you again, would you... I mean..."

"I'll tell you everything about her," he promised.

Then, eyes lighting up as an idea formed in his mind, he took Kagetsuya's hand and led him to the pair of patio chairs placed by the door. There was no protest from the other angel, but then again, respect for his elder and former superior might have stopped any he might have made.

"It's too early to sleep yet," Michael explained, sitting only after making sure his companion was also seated.

It was not, by any chance, what he had first intended to tell Kagetsuya. Part of it, perhaps, and not this much detail. But the more he thought about it, he did not think he could tell the truth he had planned on telling. Even despite the way his heart ached its protest to the decision. This would be enough.

It would have to be.

So he kept on smiling. "Even if it's only a little bit, we could start now," he told the other angel. "Now, when we were younger, we were always together..."

+ + + + +

Three of the four archangels left the next morning, at dawn. Uriel, having been there to train and monitor Eden's investigators in the first place, was the only one who remained. He waved his colleagues goodbye, Kagetsuya and Chihaya flanking him. The latter two had close to a week left in Hawaii and he would stay with them -- no one on Eden would know of course -- until they had to return to Shinjuku.

Like Gabrielle said, explanations for Michael's extended absence were ready. This, of course, meant another round of well-wishers sending gifts of sympathy to him, most of them flowers, like the last time. He bemoaned this good-naturedly to Raphael for the few days that the tokens poured in, who only smiled and offered the usual light banter.

"We'd like you to join us, now," Gabrielle had told them in the few hours' time they had to themselves after their return. "No one has to know anything beyond the fact that you want to join out of interest."

Perhaps they would some day, they told her, when work was not so pressing and time-consuming. When they were alone, they looked at each other and nodded, yes, perhaps they would.

And if anyone noticed that they spent the occasional night in each other's apartments, they attributed it to Michael's now-known habit of keeping late hours having leaked over to his partner.


End file.
